This is a Capelli Sport Cape Verde national team 2026 home jersey featuring the name and number of star defender Sidny Lopes Cabral.

Despite having a population of only just over 500,000, Cape Verde have emerged as one of Africa's most remarkable footballing success stories. Cape Verdeans living abroad, who outnumber the population of the islands themselves, have provided a rich source of talent for the national team, with many players competing in Europe's top leagues. Cape Verde first qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and were one of the tournament's surprise packages, reaching the quarter-finals after finishing ahead of Morocco and Angola in their group. They returned to AFCON in 2015 but exited in the group stage, before qualifying again for the 2021 tournament, where they reached the Round of 16 before losing to eventual champions Senegal. At AFCON 2023, Cape Verde recorded their best-ever continental performance, topping their group and reaching the quarter-finals for a second time. Their greatest achievement came in October 2025, when they qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time by winning a difficult qualifying group ahead of Cameroon and Angola. Cape Verde became just the second-least populous nation ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup, and at the tournament they continued their fairytale by advancing from the group stage on debut, becoming the smallest country in history to reach the World Cup knockout stages.

Sidny Lopes Cabral has emerged as one of Cape Verde’s most exciting footballers, playing a memorable role in the country’s historic debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to Cape Verdean parents from Santiago, Cabral developed his career in European football, playing in Germany and Portugal before earning a move to Portuguese giants Benfica in December 2025. After just half a season with Benfica, he completed another major move in June 2026, signing a five-year contract with Turkish Süper Lig club Trabzonspor in a deal worth an initial €10 million. Having made his senior international debut for Cape Verde in 2023, he was part of the squad that took the Blue Sharks to their first-ever World Cup, where they defied expectations to progress from the group stage unbeaten. Cabral produced one of the defining moments of the tournament in Cape Verde’s Round of 32 clash with Argentina, scoring a spectacular extra-time equaliser past Emiliano Martínez to make the score 2–2, before Cape Verde were eventually eliminated 3–2. His remarkable curling strike was subsequently voted the 2026 FIFA World Cup Goal of the Tournament, securing Cabral a place in both Cape Verdean and World Cup history.

SIZE MEASUREMENTS

LARGE- Armpit to armpit: 53.5 cm, Top to bottom: 77.5 cm

X-LARGE- Armpit to armpit: 56 cm, Top to bottom: 79.5 cm

XX-LARGE- Armpit to armpit: 58 cm, Top to bottom: 82.5 cm

Cape Verde 2026 Home (LOPES CABRAL #13) Jersey/Shirt