What can I expect from Cape Verde? The Blue Sharks have long been considered international minnows and only joined Fifa in 1985 - four decades later and they are finally ready to make their World Cup bow.

Cape Verde centre-back Roberto Lopes gets a warm Irish send-off as the Shamrock Rovers player departs for the World Cup.

The expanded 2026 World Cup sees a record 48 teams compete to lift the biggest prize in football, but while there are plenty of new faces and potential fairytales in North America this summer, one thing remains the same – the usual suspects are favourites once again.

Cape Verde are looking to make a splash at their first ever FIFA World Cup - but will have their work cut out in a group featuring Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia

Cape Verde, the Blue Sharks, are one of four nations making their FIFA World Cup debut this summer in North America.

Before Cape Verde made its World Cup debut, Sandro Mendes was one of the players to have represented the national team during his international career, giving him a unique insight into the progress Cape Verdean football has made in this small country on its journey to the world's biggest football tournament.

Cape Verde will make its World Cup debut at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. In the third instalment of a four-part series, RFI looks at the journey of the second

Yamal and Williams both missed the end of the club season due to hamstring injuries but De la Fuente included them in his World Cup squad anyway

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Lamine Yamal could be fit in time for the team's first World Cup match against Cape Verde on June 15 as the forward recovers from a torn left hamstring. Yamal suffered the injury during a match for Barcelona on April 22.