Steven Moreira ready for Cape Verde's historic World Cup journey | OneFootball

By J. Sam Jones

Cachupa is the national dish of Cape Verde. It’s a stew you can make a few different ways, but each way takes time. And regardless of how you make it, you’re probably making a lot of it. It’s a meal for families and parties. It’s a meal made for coming together. It’s Steven Moreira’s favorite.

The Columbus Crew defender – who's set to feature in his final MLS match before the 2026 FIFA World Cup pause, when the Crew host Atlanta United on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire (5 pm ET | Apple TV) – will play a key role in bringing the people of Cape Verde together this summer. 

In fact, he’s already been a part of one of the biggest parties in the country’s history. On Oct. 13, 2025, Moreira and the Cape Verde national team defeated Eswatini 3-0. The win earned the Blue Sharks a spot in the 2026 World Cup, their first-ever appearance at the sport's biggest event.

With a two-goal lead for most of the second half, the celebrations started early. But Moreira didn’t get a chance to take it all in until full time. 

“You think about everything,” the 2024 MLS Defender of the Year and Best XI honoree said. “You think about your family, your background. When you grow up, that's the dream to play in a World Cup, you know? You watch as a kid. So you think about everything.

"Your family, they grew up in Cape Verde. They sacrificed everything to come to France, and now I can give back. So that was just amazing.”

Representing his roots

Moreira, San Diego FC goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos and the Cape Verde national team will take the pitch at the 2026 World Cup as the second-smallest nation to ever qualify for the tournament.

With a population of around 491,000, the archipelago off the west coast of Africa has roughly the same population as Omaha, Nebraska. Even in an expanded tournament, Cape Verde weren't expected to make the World Cup. Their national team began playing in 1978. It took a long time for Cape Verde to even get close to something like this.

It took time for Moreira to join the national team, too. His parents left Cape Verde when they were young. Moreira, born and raised in France, played for French youth national teams up to the U-21 level. But despite growing up in a new country, Moreira’s family carried the culture of home with them at all times. 

“At my house, all the culture was about Cape Verde,” said Moreira, who joined Columbus in 2021 after he played for Ligue 1 side Toulouse. “The music, the vibes in my house. I didn't grow up there, but the way my parents raised me was more about Cape Verde than France.” 

Naturally, Moreira had plenty of close family members who insisted he’d be better off playing for Cape Verde. Still, he didn’t officially switch until 2023, a decade into his professional career. 

He wishes he had done it sooner. But now that he’s here, Moreira’s happy he gets to make his family proud. 

“They were in Cape Verde, and they went to France. My parents were very young; they didn't know anything about French. So they just worked a lot,” said Moreira, who's won MLS Cup, Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup titles with Columbus. 

“Honestly, they just make sure all the time me and my brother have everything. Food at home, clean clothes and everything. And I know they sacrifice a lot, like my mom would work a lot. And I was not like I would say focused on school too. I would be only soccer, soccer, soccer.

"So they believed in me. And I'm happy to give back, and everyone can call them in the country and be like ‘I'm so proud of your kids.’”

Cape Verde's climb

When Moreira joined in 2023, Cape Verde had qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations. With Moreira starting at right back, they advanced all the way to the AFCON quarterfinals, matching their best-ever performance. That run began to convince Moreira that even bigger things were in store. 

A couple of years later, they were up 3-0 on Eswatini, mere minutes away from history. 

“We score one goal, and after two goals, and after that, you’re just checking the time,” Moreira said. “We score the third one, and you’re just playing. You don't pay attention to the game, honestly. You just watch around. You can see everyone dancing. So happy.

"You just want to say to the ref, like, ‘Okay, the game is done. Just stop the game right now,' so you can enjoy it. And after that, like when you see everyone in the stadium, that was amazing. That was the best scene.”

Now, Moreira and Cape Verde are preparing for their toughest ever challenge.

They know it will take a special effort to escape from Group H against Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Spain. But with the World Cup expanding from 32 nations to 48, there are more pathways into the knockout rounds. Each group's top two teams and the top eight third-place finishers advance, perhaps benefiting smaller nations like Cape Verde.

Regardless of what happens, they’ve given their country plenty of reasons to celebrate. And that gives Moreira plenty of reasons to be emotional about what's ahead.

“I will be trying not to cry, I think. I will try, but I will think about everything, honestly,” Moreira said. “Your family, of course, your friends, Columbus Crew, the club, you will think about all the stuff like this.”

Hard decisions pay off

It’s taken time, patience and community for Moreira to reach this moment.

He didn’t know if moving to the United States would be the right choice. He didn’t know if switching to Cape Verde would pay off. But he did know his family would be there if he needed them. 

“In a hard moment, they're not [in Columbus],” Moreira said. “So I'm alone here, so I'm always on the phone with them. Making sure they're okay, everything is good. And they just give me power to go outside. It doesn't matter if sometimes you have a bad day. We're just grateful, we play soccer. So we just have to be happy, enjoy ourselves.”

Moreira and Cape Verde will get to enjoy being on the world’s biggest stage. It’s a chance to showcase everything he loves about a culture that shaped him. And maybe a chance to eat well. 

“[I love] the food, the people, the vibes,” Moreira said. “So we’re just having fun all the time. Smiling. It doesn't matter what's happening in their life, they're just happy all the time.

"And we try to help each other a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot. So I will just say, I love the people and the food, of course.”