HOUSTON — Cape Verde, the surprise star of the 2026 World Cup, is having a moment.
This is the first World Cup for the small island nation, and yet, the squad has managed to hold its own against soccer powerhouses like Spain and Uruguay. And it's not just Cape Verde: African teams are playing big in this year's tournament, against soccer legends that are performing unevenly.
Egypt is having a historic run. Ghana made it impossible for England to score a goal. The Democratic Republic of Congo tied mighty Portugal. And Senegal's 5-0 defeat of Iraq has the West African country on the verge of making the knockout round.
The most stellar performance so far from an African nation in this World Cup has been Morocco, leading with seven goals. It's hardly their first time making a big splash at the tournament: in the last World Cup, in 2022, they made it to the semifinals — a first for an African team.
At their recent game against Brazil in East Rutherford, N.J., Moroccan superfan Mustapha Chliah told NPR, it's time to stop calling them underdogs. "We're here for the title. Underdogs? That was like back in 1998. But in 2026, in America, we're gonna prove 2022 wasn't a fluke."
After Chliah's prediction, the team tied Brazil 1-1 — and hasn't lost a single game at this World Cup.
Zayn Nabbi, host of the podcast On The Whistle, about African soccer, says it's absolutely not a fluke.
Morocco started planning this more than 15 years ago when they built a world-class training site and academy. "The king of that country made a decision: that they were gonna invest in football, and they were gonna use it as soft power. A host of stars are turning down the opportunity to play for European nations to play for Morocco," Nabbi says.
Nabbi says this is key to understanding the power of African soccer right now: the diaspora and the desire of many African immigrants and their children to play for their home countries.
Sports journalist Maher Mezahi with the blog Africa Is A Country, agrees. He points to Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi as an example. "He's 18. He's considered one of the best talents in French football. France wanted him, and Bouaddi turned that down and decided to represent the Moroccan national team."
Another major factor at play this year is that Africa has benefited the most from FIFA's expansion of the number of teams in the World Cup. In the last tournament, Africa was allowed five teams; this time around, they got to send twice as many. The expansion has led to new stars and teams entering the world stage. Newcomers like Cape Verdean goalie Vozinha, the undeniable breakout star of this year's World Cup.
Of course, if you've been following African soccer, you know Cape Verde is no newcomer — the team has been making waves for nearly a decade. Mezahi points out that they are also largely powered by their diaspora.
About half of the team was born abroad. "For a country like Cape Verde, the diaspora can be an essential resource that they use to build their squads," Mezahi says.
Still the big question remains: how long can Cape Verde last? Tying Uruguay and Spain is impressive, but in order to be World Cup champs, you've got to start winning games.
Mezahi agrees, but says African soccer is playing the long game. By 2030, he predicts the Cup, co-hosted in Morocco, is gonna be a whole other story. "Africa has been steadily progressing since the 1970s. I think it's probably going to take a few more World Cup cycles. But don't be surprised if by 2030, 2034, we're talking about African teams as not just contenders, but real favorites for the World Cup."
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