{"id":2040,"date":"2026-06-26T19:56:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T19:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/06\/26\/everyone-is-talking-about-cape-verde-world-cup-run-delights-diaspora-community-in-uk\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T19:56:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T19:56:07","slug":"everyone-is-talking-about-cape-verde-world-cup-run-delights-diaspora-community-in-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2040","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Everyone is talking about Cape Verde\u2019: World Cup run delights diaspora community in UK"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"6dd2bd4e-6179-4a29-b635-b2edf439653a\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Two young people hold up a Cape Verde flag in front of greenery\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/9987cc89c3e8425b10872df6f3cdf9386839b139\/765_0_6827_5464\/master\/6827.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372.1634685806357\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Cape Verde diaspora members Lauryn, 13, and brother Joylen, 10.<\/span> Photograph: Graeme Robertson\/The Guardian<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"6dd2bd4e-6179-4a29-b635-b2edf439653a\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Cape Verde diaspora members Lauryn, 13, and brother Joylen, 10.<\/span> Photograph: Graeme Robertson\/The Guardian<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">\u2018Everyone is talking about Cape Verde\u2019: World Cup run delights diaspora community in UK<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1kvrm3n\">\n<p>Cape Verdeans in Britain feeling \u2018incredibly proud\u2019 after team\u2019s hard-fought draws against Spain and Uruguay<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/live\/2026\/jun\/26\/world-cup-2026-norway-france-senegal-iraq-cape-verde-saudi-arabia-uruguay-spain-egypt-iran-new-zealand-belgium-live\" data-link-name=\"in standfirst link\">World Cup live \u2013 latest updates<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">For as long as she can remember, 13-year-old Lauryn struggled to find a map that included <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/cape-verde\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Cape Verde<\/a>. Now, to her great delight, the tiny African island nation is finally centre stage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cSeeing our country shown across the world at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/world-cup-football\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">World Cup<\/a> makes me feel incredibly proud,\u201d Lauryn says. \u201cAfter the first match, everyone was talking about Cape Verde. People saw the talent and the skill of our players.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Cape Verde, or Cabo Verde as the diaspora community in the UK knows it, are having a historic run at their first ever World Cup. The African nation, made up of 10 islands, has defied expectations by holding its own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2026\/jun\/22\/cape-verde-cabo-world-cup-football-team-country-best-players-explained\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">against the tournament\u2019s leading teams<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Located in the Atlantic Ocean about 370 miles (600km) off the coast of mainland <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/africa\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Africa<\/a>, and with a population of just over 500,000, it is one of the smallest nations to compete at the tournament.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Lauryn, who has already published her first book, Lauryn That\u2019s Me: The Journey of a Powerful African Girl, says she scrolled through social media before Cape Verde\u2019s opening match against Spain. \u201cThere were lots of posts on social media saying Cape Verde only had a 1% chance of winning. But after everyone saw our goalkeeper\u2019s performance, everything changed.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"3a413af0-9090-4b96-9faf-ebe2f3ba7f5c\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Goalkeeper Vozinha celebrates after Cape Verde\u2019s draw with Uruguay\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/2249f8fcac2c8172980ce803fa2eb07b7cef081e\/0_0_3502_2493\/master\/3502.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"316.7861222158767\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"3a413af0-9090-4b96-9faf-ebe2f3ba7f5c\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Goalkeeper Vozinha celebrates after Cape Verde\u2019s draw with Uruguay.<\/span> Photograph: Xinhua\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">That 1% prediction has since become a rallying cry for the Cape Verdean diaspora in Britain, which is estimated to number in the low thousands. \u201cOur slogan in the Cape Verdean community became: \u2018They gave us 1% chance, but we had 99% faith,\u2019\u201d Lauryn says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The team held a stunned Spain to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2026\/jun\/15\/spain-cape-verde-world-cup-2026-group-h-match-report\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">0-0 draw.<\/a> Their next match, against Uruguay, felt like a \u201cconstant heart attack\u201d, says Annabella Lopes of the Cape Verdean Association UK. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2026\/jun\/22\/cape-verde-uruguay-world-cup-group-h-match-report\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">The game ended 2-2<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"4511d641-fcf2-4488-9198-11eda9ef6268\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1oq85qr\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-8 | 8\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1rx5ky9\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-15vltj4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2026\/jun\/22\/cape-verde-cabo-world-cup-football-team-country-best-players-explained\" class=\"dcr-f35c0u\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-vvxpdt\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6z6e7\">\n<div class=\"dcr-zh9rih\">Where is Cape Verde? Meet the tiny African island nation upsetting World Cup giants<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-oj13vq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ef9nua\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Now, the team, quickly becoming fans\u2019 favourite underdogs, face Saudi Arabia in their final group stage match, which kicks off at 9pm ET on Friday in Houston, Texas \u2013 or 1am Saturday for Lauryn and others watching in the UK. A win will secure them a historic spot in the knockouts, while a draw will give them a fighting chance to qualify as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2026\/jun\/24\/world-cup-groups-permutations-round-of-32-usa-mexico-canada\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">one of the eight best third-placed<\/a> teams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Lauryn\u2019s younger brother, 10-year-old Joylen, who plays football for Chelsea\u2019s academy, says watching the tournament has strengthened his belief in the team. \u201cI think we can definitely go very far. I knew people shouldn\u2019t underestimate us because if we can draw against Spain and Uruguay, imagine what we can do against other teams.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">It has also inspired his own ambition. \u201cIt makes me want to reach my highest level,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">For Lopes, the team\u2019s performance sends a powerful message to the Cape Verde diaspora community across the world, as well as those who hail from small countries. \u201cThe success happening on the pitch reflects the resilience and strength of our people,\u201d she says. \u201cThe fact that you are small, and the fact that people don\u2019t know you, doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t achieve great things.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.NewsletterSignupBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\"><a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"#EmailSignup-skip-link-13\" class=\"dcr-76akua\">skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1tr4stg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-12qa5gp\">\n<hr class=\"dcr-1cjdlyj\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"EmailSignup-skip-link-13\" aria-label=\"after newsletter promotion\" role=\"note\" class=\"dcr-76akua\">after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"a6b4c862-3931-442e-8117-a12968210d11\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cape Verde supporters in Rotterdam in the Netherlands\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8c2bdabbc5d8613c088cad81bd94abcbef447eb5\/0_0_8160_5504\/master\/8160.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"300.15686274509807\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"a6b4c862-3931-442e-8117-a12968210d11\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Cape Verde supporters in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.<\/span> Photograph: Robin Utrecht\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">She adds that it is not about winning or losing. \u201cThe important thing is to take part. Cape Verde is taking part, Cape Verde is competing, Cape Verde is achieving, and Cape Verde is making history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Much of the admiration has centred on the veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, whose Instagram page went from hundreds of thousands to nearly 10 million followers over the space of two games.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Nancy Rodrigues, a 38-year-old NHS physiotherapist living in the UK, says she treated the \u201creally nice\u201d goalkeeper when living in Angola. \u201cHe definitely deserves all the attention he\u2019s getting now,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing because everyone knows Cape Verde through him. That feels incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Elisangela, a 36-year-old accountant, known as Elly, says the team\u2019s success has electrified the diaspora community across the world. \u201cWe have never experienced a moment like this before. Everyone is excited. People are calling each other, checking in and asking how they\u2019re feeling and how they\u2019re living through this moment with their families and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Lauryn and Joylen\u2019s mother, Cristina, hopes the team\u2019s success leads to interest in the country that goes much further than football. \u201cWe are creative people. There is so much talent, not only in football but also in music, literature and the arts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">She says she is particularly proud of the values and resilience the team is showing on the world stage, and points to the Cape Verde manager, Bubista, and his tradition of giving a gift to the coach of the opposing team before the start of each game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThat\u2019s part of who we are. We come as warriors on the pitch, but we honour and respect one another,\u201d she says. \u201cI think that\u2019s what people are seeing. They\u2019re not seeing arrogance. They\u2019re seeing humility, unity and men crying because they care so much. It\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/cape-verde\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Cape Verde<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/football\/world-cup-2026\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">World Cup 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/football\/world-cup-football\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">World Cup<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=%E2%80%98Everyone%20is%20talking%20about%20Cape%20Verde%E2%80%99:%20World%20Cup%20run%20delights%20diaspora%20community%20in%20UK&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jun\/26\/cape-verde-world-cup-run-delights-diaspora-community-uk?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Fjun%2F26%2Fcape-verde-world-cup-run-delights-diaspora-community-uk&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=world\/2026\/jun\/26\/cape-verde-world-cup-run-delights-diaspora-community-uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-axwinp\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cape Verde diaspora members Lauryn, 13, and brother Joylen, 10. Photograph: Graeme Robertson\/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Cape Verde diaspora members Lauryn, 13, and brother Joylen, 10. Photograph: Graeme &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2040\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}