The diaspora blueprint
Central to Cape Verde's rise has been the football federation's (FCF) deliberate policy of recruiting players from the diaspora. Strong historical ties to Portugal — the former colonial power — and a tradition of maritime emigration have created a sizeable Cape Verdean community abroad, including a notable cluster in Rotterdam. Fourteen of the 26 players in their World Cup squad were born outside Cape Verde, six of them from the Dutch port city.
Forward Dailon Livramento, who featured for Casa Pia in Portugal's Primeira Liga last season, scored the only goal in the critical qualifying win over Cameroon last September — a victory that helped Cape Verde finish ahead of the five-time African champions.
Dublin-born centre-back Roberto Lopes, famously recruited through the LinkedIn business networking platform in 2019, captured the spirit of the project:
