Cape Verde Gears Up for World Cup Clash with Argentina, Fans Embrace a Stress‑Free Mindset

If Cape Verde secures a victory on Friday, it would join a select group of African nations to advance deep into the World Cup, becoming the smallest country ever to achieve that milestone, and would also produce one of the tournament’s most significant upsets by defeating the defending champions, Argentina.

Consequently, the pressure intensifies.

However, in Praia’s streets, any notion of stress is met with a shrug and a smile. Although a predictive supercomputer assigns Cape Verde a one‑in‑20 chance of winning, Argentina fields Lionel Messi—widely regarded as the sport’s greatest player and, as of Friday morning, the World Cup’s all‑time leading goal scorer.

Regardless, from schoolchildren playing in alleyways to retired professionals, Cape Verdeans trust their team and remain unfazed by the odds. On this archipelago of roughly half a million residents, “No Stress” is a cultural ethos, appearing on souvenir tees and jerseys displayed in shop windows, incorporated into the lyrics of street‑side bar songs, and rendered in colorful graffiti on neighborhood buildings.

“We say ‘no stress’ because it reflects our lifestyle,” said Pedro Bettencourt Jr., president of Escola Prática de Iniciação ao Futebol (EPIF), a Praia‑based nonprofit that supports youth, some of whom have gone on to play for the national team.

“It means we remain calm and easy‑going,” Mr. Bettencourt added. “It also means we prepare diligently, stay humble, and go out to play and win.”

Cape Verde’s national side began to set itself apart among African competitors just over a decade ago. It once topped a group in the Africa Cup of Nations that included Egypt, the record seven‑time champion. That debut sparked a series of successes, and last year the team achieved a remarkable World Cup qualification by defeating Cameroon, a long‑standing World Cup participant and five‑time African champion.

On a narrow Praia street Tuesday, behind the bustling Sucupira Market—the country’s largest open‑air market—few people appeared focused on those stakes. Five men in their fifties gathered around a table playing cards, barely glancing at the World Cup broadcast on a nearby TV. As the Democratic Republic of Congo faced England, they offered only a few muttered remarks of frustration when Congo missed a potentially decisive late‑game opportunity.

Among them, largely unnoticed by passers‑by, was Graciano Tavares Lopes. Long before Cape Verde’s team achieved global fame, the 56‑year‑old, known as Xaxane, had represented the national squad.

“In our era we played purely for the love of the shirt,” he said, showing a phone photo of his younger self in the national kit. “Our boots were shared among six or seven players. Now the situation is different; the group stage went very well, but we now face Argentina, a very tough opponent.”

He was not stressing about it.

“I’m confident we’ll achieve a good result,” Mr. Lopes added.

Ghanaian soccer historian Fiifi Anaman, who has followed Cape Verde’s rise, described this year’s World Cup performance as “fascinating to watch.”

“They are a talented, well‑organized side,” he said. “They have lost only once in their last 13 matches. If punching above one’s weight in football were a team, it would be Cape Verde.”

Across Europe, elite club rosters have increasingly included players who immigrated from Africa or were born to African immigrants. For this World Cup, many African nations have tapped such talent, and none have done so more than Cape Verde, whose diaspora in the United States rivals the size of the archipelago itself.

The international composition of its lineup has helped build a global fan base, yet it is not the sole factor behind Cape Verde’s success.

On a warm Thursday afternoon, 70‑year‑old Mr. Bettencourt was scarcely visible amid a sea of EPIF trainees aged 7 to 12, who gathered around him in a small stadium in southern Praia.

Previously, EPIF had to persuade parents to enroll their children, Mr. Bettencourt recalled. “Now we face a different problem,” he said. “We have over 300 athletes, boys and girls, and a new participant joins each session.”

Several former EPIF participants have achieved national fame; at least six of this year’s World Cup squad are alumni. However, some have attracted negative attention, such as Ryan Mendes, the team’s captain and leading scorer, who is under New Zealand police investigation for alleged rape in March.

In a statement to The Athletic regarding the allegations, a FIFA representative said the organization “takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously,” is in contact with New Zealand authorities, and cannot comment further at this stage.

Mr. Bettencourt declined to comment on the investigation, noting that he lacked full facts, but emphasized that teaching respect and discipline remains a central tenet of EPIF’s mission.

Liam, a 10‑year‑old EPIF player, said he is “learning to be respectful and to become a better professional” to honor his father and his idol, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo. He calmly predicts a 1‑0 victory for Cape Verde over Argentina.

Graezy, 12, said she joined the academy because she loves the sport, adding, “Boys should not have an exclusive right to play soccer.”

Both dream of representing their country on the pitch, yet Mr. Bettencourt isn’t concerned about that; he says fielding the national team isn’t his top priority.

“We don’t just aim to produce athletes like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said. “We develop our athletes into responsible citizens who respect women and love their country. The hard work and humility that follow come without stress.”

Andre Amaral contributed reporting.

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