Thousands of fans lined Praia on Sunday as Cape Verde’s soccer team returned from its first World Cup, where it reached the round of 32 and pushed Argentina to extra time.
Independence Day amplified the celebration: airport workers knelt as the plane arrived, then players and coaches rode through the capital on a truck amid flags, drummers and dance troupes.
Cape Verde’s men’s basketball team added to the national mood by securing a second-round berth in 2027 World Cup qualifying before beating Libya in Cameroon.
For a nation of about 500,000 people, the twin milestones underscored a rare sporting moment—Cape Verde was the smallest country by land mass ever to reach the soccer World Cup.