Cape Verde’s national team defeated Serbia 3-0 in an international friendly on May 31, 2026, at Estádio do Restelo in Lisbon, Portugal.
The victory served as key preparation for Cape Verde’s historic debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the 69th-ranked island nation will face strong Group H opponents.
Kevin Pina, the Cape Verdean midfielder, scored the opening goal in the 11th minute, assisted by Ryan Mendes. Laros Duarte, another Cape Verdean player, added the second goal in the 59th minute with an assist from Hélio Varela. Gilson Benchimol (also known as Gilson Tavares), the Cape Verdean forward, sealed the result in the 63rd minute, assisted by Laros Duarte.
Cape Verde dominated proceedings throughout, controlling play effectively from the early stages.
Cape Verde enters the 2026 World Cup as one of the debutant teams, having qualified top of their CAF group. The side sits second in Group H standings behind Spain with no points accumulated yet and a goal difference of zero ahead of the tournament opener.
Cape Verde will face Spain on June 15, 2026, in their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage match.