It is the country with the second smallest population among the participating countries in the World Cup and is the focus of Africa’s rapid rise.

The 2026 FIFA United States, Canada and Mexico World Cup qualifiers are being held around the world. Cape Verde, which successfully broke through the African qualifiers and qualified for the World Cup for the first time, is also a country known for its sparse population. Based on the data of "Transfer Market", this article introduces the 10 countries with the smallest population among the participating countries in the previous World Cup by ranking. (Note: Countries that have participated multiple times are not counted repeatedly, only data after World War II are counted)

Cape Verde, which successfully broke through the African qualifiers and qualified for the World Cup for the first time

Second place: Cape Verde (2026 World Cup)

[Photo source: Getty Images】

Population at the time of competition: approximately 525,000

Match results: -

Latest FIFA ranking: 71st

Cape Verde is an island country located off the coast of West Africa. It became a Portuguese colony in the 15th century and gained independence in 1975. At the time of independence, the population was approximately 270,000. The country's politics are relatively stable, its education level is high, and its current population has grown to about 525,000 people.

The Cape Verde men’s national football team participated in the African Cup of Nations for the first time in 2013 and reached the quarterfinals, achieving a brilliant record. Reaching the top 16 in the 2021 tournament and reaching the top eight again in the 2023 tournament, its presence on the African continent continues to grow. In the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers, they beat Cameroon to top Group D, achieving their long-awaited first World Cup qualification.

The reason why this small country can qualify for the 2026 World Cup is the role played by the descendants of immigrants who have spread their branches around the world. These players belong to clubs in 15 different countries. The specific distribution is as follows: Portugal 5 players, Israel and Turkey 3 players each, Cyprus and Bulgaria 2 players each. In addition, there are 7 European countries including Hungary, Ireland, Finland, Romania, the Netherlands, Germany, and Russia, 2 Asian countries Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, plus the United States, for a total of 10 countries with 1 player each. In addition, among the players who have been called up in the past year, there are also players playing for clubs in France, Spain, Indonesia, Wales, and Switzerland.

"Transfer Market" estimates that Logan Costa (Villarreal), the country's most valuable player, was born in France, and his parents are Cape Verdeans. In addition, although former Manchester United striker Bebe has not been called up recently, he sparked heated discussions when he was selected for the national team in 2022. He is also a Cape Verde international born in Portugal.

There are also players who have not played for Cape Verde, but have the country's ancestry all over the world, such as former Portugal international Nani, former French international Patrick Vieira, etc. Although the population is only 520,000, the characteristics of a country of immigrants are also reflected in the field of football - the picture of "Cape Verdean blood scattered around the world" reuniting in the national team is a true portrayal of the history and composition of this country.