Cape Verde honoured, Benfica at pre-World Cup celebration | OneFootball

The President of the Republic of Cape Verde honored the national team, the federation, and the entire technical staff following the historic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, in a ceremony that symbolically marked the preparations for the debut in the biggest competition in world football. Sidny Cabral, a winger for Benfica, is part of the group known as the "Blue Sharks."

José Maria Neves, the country’s head of state, highlighted the significance of the achievement, stressing that the team’s success shows that "with unity around an ideal, it is possible to overcome obstacles" and that this moment represents the strength and identity of a united country. The president also reinforced that the Cape Verde national team is today "Cape Verde’s greatest calling card".

The final squad list for the 2026 World Cup has already been announced and includes several players who play in Portugal, with Sidny Cabral standing out, as well as names such as Vozinha (Desportivo de Chaves), Stopira (Torreense) - who shaped Benfica’s Europa League journey - , Telmo Arcanjo (Vitória de Guimarães), Yannick Semedo (Vizela), Jovane Cabral (Estrela da Amadora), and Dailon Livramento (Casa Pia), highlighting the strong connection between Cape Verdean football and the Portuguese league.

The "Blue Sharks" are now preparing for an unprecedented World Cup appearance, where they will be part of Group H alongside Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, in an expanded tournament that will feature 48 national teams for the first time and will take place between June 11 and July 19 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

This season, while playing for both Estrela da Amadora and Benfica, Sidny Cabral — valued at 5 million euros — made a total of 28 official appearances: 23 in Liga Portugal Betclic, two in the Champions League, two in the Portuguese Cup, and one in the League Cup. In the 1,835 minutes he spent on the pitch, the player recorded six goals and six assists.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.