How Did the Tiny Country of Cape Verde Win a World Cup Ticket?

What is Cape Verde's secret to securing a World Cup ticket despite all the limitations?

The small nation of Cape Verde has demonstrated that population size does not correlate with the opportunity to compete in the World Cup. With the assistance of diaspora players, the island nation, which has a population of approximately 550,000, has made history by qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

Tanjung Verde cannot expect much from the domestic league. The highest tier of their league is only followed by 12 teams. Their football federation addresses the limitations of domestic potential by seeking talent from abroad, similar to what Indonesia has done.

In recent years, they have relied on players born abroad to parents or grandparents from Cape Verde. Most were born in the Netherlands and Portugal. The dependence on diaspora players was very evident in the decisive match against Eswatini, Monday (13/10/2025).

The opening goal for Tanjung Verde was scored by forward Dailon Livramento, who was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Then, their second goal was produced by winger Willy Semedo, who was born in Bordeaux, France.

The eleven starting players of Tanjung Verde are also classified as diaspora. Three players come from Portugal, while one each hails from the United States, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, Romania, Russia, the Netherlands, Turkey, and Cyprus. Their diaspora network is very extensive.

Although the project appears to be instant, not through player development, "The Blue Shark" actually values the process highly. The key to their success began with a coach who has been building the team since January 2020. Bubista, a former national team player, has been gradually developing the squad year by year.

Bubista remains trusted by the federation even though his team did not qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup. The federation sees a bigger picture regarding the potential of the squad moving forward. Instead of reacting hastily by hiring a new coach, they have retained Bubista for the World Cup qualifiers. This trust has paid off.

How will North Macedonia and Kosovo keep their World Cup dreams alive?

Two Balkan nations, North Macedonia and Kosovo, are on track to qualify for the UEFA World Cup qualifying playoffs, or European ones. Their points from Tuesday's match (October 14, 2025) early morning WIB (Western Indonesian Time) keep their hopes of maintaining second place in their respective groups alive for the decisive match in November.

North Macedonia played their seventh match in Group J of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The 1-1 draw placed North Macedonia in second place with 13 points, trailing Belgium by one point at the top of the standings.

In addition, North Macedonia is three points ahead of Wales, which is in third place in Group J. Belgium and Wales still have one match less than North Macedonia. The battle for second place remains a contest between North Macedonia and Wales.

Despite being three points behind, Wales can still strive to equal the points tally of North Macedonia when they visit the home ground of Liechtenstein on November 16.

The "final" will be held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on November 19th, when Wales will host North Macedonia. The winner of that match will advance to the playoffs to secure the four remaining European World Cup spots.

North Macedonia coach Blagoja Milevski has the opportunity to make history for his country. He led Risovi to the playoffs of the 2022 World Cup. After defeating Italy in the semifinals, North Macedonia's path to the world stage was dashed by two goals from Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes in the final, which cost a ticket to the main draw in Qatar.

Another Balkan team, Kosovo, is also keeping alive its hopes of securing a World Cup berth through the playoffs. Second place in Group B in the current standings is Kosovo's best finish in World Cup qualifying.

In fact, Kosovo is the youngest member of FIFA under the auspices of UEFA. It has not yet been a decade since the Kosovo Football Federation (FFK) joined FIFA and UEFA.

How has England fared so far in European qualifying?

The England national football team needs just one more victory to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. They approach the quadrennial event without any worries as they have secured the best partnership in the midfield position. Specifically, they have found a companion for Declan Rice.

England will automatically qualify for the World Cup finals if they win against the host Latvia in the group stage qualifying match at Daugava Stadium, Riga, on Wednesday (15/10/2025) at 01:45 WIB. Serbia's defeat to Albania has cleared the path for Thomas Tuchel's team in Group K.

"The Three Lions," as they are nicknamed, are at the top of the standings with 15 points from five matches. Their closest competitor is Albania (11 points), which has already played six matches. With a total of eight matches in the group stage, England only needs three additional points to secure the status of group champion.

The World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is just around the corner for England. Regardless of their qualification, there is something more important. Less than a year before the World Cup, Tuchel is beginning to find a complete picture of the squad, particularly in the midfield with the duo of midfielders Rice and Elliot Anderson.

"The coach really likes our performance in the last three matches. He continues to maintain that combination," said Rice about the partnership with Anderson.

"I can advance more (to assist the attack) thanks to him. We built cooperation and a good relationship in the midst," he said afterward.

Why does Ronald Koeman still find a dilemma in the Dutch national team?

From the last two matches of the Dutch national football team during this international break, the sweet dilemma faced by Ronald Koeman is clearly visible. With so many quality defenders in his squad, the Dutch coach continues to change the combination of names in selecting four aligned defenders. Nevertheless, the options are beginning to narrow down.

The combination of four defenders, namely Denzel Dumfries, Jurrien Timber, Virgil van Dijk, and Micky van de Ven, became the core players for the second consecutive time as the Netherlands triumphed over Finland 4-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifying match at the Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, on Sunday (12/10/2025) evening WIB. They are now at the top of Group G in the European zone World Cup qualifiers.

If based on the specialization of positions in their respective clubs, the ideal formation would be Van Dijk and Van de Ven in the center-back positions, with Dumfries and Timber on the wings. However, Koeman is experimenting a bit. Van de Ven is once again trusted as a left-back as he has been for the past two years, while Timber has been assigned a new role.

Timber is believed to fill the position of center-back, partnering with Van Dijk. The Arsenal defender can indeed play in all positions across the back line, but his specialization lies in the right-back position. Koeman's idea is truly unique. The player, who is one of the best right-backs in the Premier League, is not showcased in his optimal position.

Koeman initially only experimented in the previous match, which was a 4-0 victory over Malta last Friday. The outcome turned out to be better than expected. "We have many center-backs. I think Timber played very well. At this moment, there is no reason to change anything (against Finland)," Koeman told ESPN.

How will the match against Israel put pressure on Gattuso's Italian national team?

UDINE, MONDAY — Once doubted, Gennaro Gattuso has proven capable of guiding Italy back on the path to the World Cup. Gattuso has completed three matches as coach with a sweet record of three consecutive victories. Gattuso's perfection is under great pressure as the qualification for the 2026 World Cup approaches its final stages.

In facing Israel, Italy is expected to maintain a positive trend to avoid the scenario of failing to qualify for the World Cup for three consecutive times. However, Italy has a slight advantage as they are acting as the host. The match against Israel will take place at the Bluenergy Stadium, Udine, on Wednesday (15/10/2025) at 01:45 WIB.

Victory is crucial for Italy to maintain their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup as runners-up in Group I. The Azzurri are unlikely to catch group leaders Norway, who have 18 points. However, they still have hope of qualifying for the World Cup via the playoffs. The prerequisite is that Italy must secure second place in the group, keeping Israel at bay.

The two teams are currently separated by just three points. However, Israel has played one more match. Therefore, a victory over Israel would almost certainly see Italy finish as runners-up in the group. Israel certainly won't let Italy cruise to a runners-up finish that easily.

Intense resistance is predicted to be on display. In the first meeting, Israel troubled Italy significantly with quick counterattacks. The match was ultimately won by Italy, 5-4, but Israel's fighting spirit to overcome the deficit deserves Gattuso's attention.

Despite having scored 13 goals in three matches, all resulting in victories, Gattuso is under significant pressure ahead of the match against Israel. Failing to qualify for two consecutive editions of the World Cup has left a particular anxiety among the Italian public.

Moreover, Italy's failure to qualify for the Qatar World Cup came after achieving perfection in their first three qualifying matches.