Praia (Cape Verde) (AFP) – Thousands of enthusiastic fans accompanied Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks through the streets of Praia on Sunday for a celebration parade following their narrow defeat to Argentina in one of the most surprising matches of the World Cup.
Released: 05/07/2026 – 22:16Modified: 06/07/2026 – 02:43
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The route, which began at the airport, wound through major areas of the capital as crowds of fans played music and cheered, making progress difficult at times.
The Sharks capped their comeback with a visit to the Cape Verdean presidential palace on Sunday night, where President José Maria Neves declared that “Argentina won, but Cape Verde won.”
Blue Sharks parade through the streets of the capital before a meeting with the President © Jose Correia/AFP
The West African archipelago nation reached the knockout stages of its first World Cup, inspiring fans at home and winning fans abroad as they failed to live up to expectations.
Cape Verde pushed Argentina to the brink in an epic last-32 match in Miami on Friday, but the reigning world champions cruised to a 3-2 victory after extra time.
“If the Cape Verde-Argentina match became the most watched game of the World Cup, you can be sure that it was not because of Argentina,” Neves said, laughing.
The team’s arrival home coincided with Independence Day for Cape Verde, a country of just 500,000 people that was liberated from Portugal in 1975 after about 500 years of rule by that country.
Crowds of fans played music and cheered as the Cape Verdean Blue Sharks made their way through Praia © Jose Correia / AFP
“After the heroes who fought for our independence, we now have these heroes – the Blue Sharks,” fan Edmilson Correia, 28, told AFP at the airport, where he had gathered with other fans, many of them carrying flags and wearing blue.
On the eve of the parade, goalkeeper Vozinha told reporters that he believed his team had “achieved something great” although he had not yet “fully grasped the magnitude of what we have just achieved.”
Asked by AFP about his plans for the future, he said only that “right now I’m just thinking of taking a little rest and we’ll see what happens next.”
The Blue Sharks had to cancel a stop on the parade route at the National Assembly because it became too difficult due to the cheering crowd, and will instead visit the legislature on Monday.
The parade ended at Quebra Canela Beach, the city’s main seaside area, where thousands more fans greeted the team with prolonged applause and drumming.
Raised the bar
A Cape Verdean fan wears an outfit depicting Argentina’s Lionel Messi being chased by a shark during celebrations in Praia © Jose Correia / AFP
Cape Verdean head coach Bubista told the press after landing in Praia that “we demonstrated that our qualification for the World Cup was not a result of luck.”
“We showed hard work and resilience and left the United States with our heads held high,” he said.
Fans tried to catch a glimpse of their heroes such as Sidney Lopez Cabral and Vozinha as they left the airport.
Twelve-year-old Ivan Goncalves said he was looking for Cabral in part because of his “amazing goal against Argentina.”
Culture and Sports Minister Antonio Duarte praised the Blue Sharks and their coach for “strengthening the status of Cape Verde as a great nation.”
In an epic last 32 showdown in Miami, Cape Verde pushed Argentina to the brink but the reigning world champions ultimately prevailed 3-2 © Jose Correia / AFP
Meanwhile, Cape Verdean Football Federation president Mario Semedo said their performance had raised the bar.
“The challenges will certainly be greater,” he said, adding that “I think we will all be motivated and up to the challenge.”
© 2026 AFP