Cabo Verde: The Unlikely Underdogs Bringing Joy to the World Cup

Chuck Culpepper Jun 14, 2026, 08:00 AM ET Close Chuck Culpepper is an Enterprise writer for ESPN. He has written from 10 Olympics and one camel race, four World Cups and one tractor pull, 61 college football playoff or bowl games and one mule-race training ground, 25 tennis majors and one motocross race, 51 golf majors and two taekwondo events, 25 men's or women's Final Fours and one round-the-world sailing race, 12 Super Bowls and one croquet pitch.

_Originally reported by [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49043152/fifa-world-cup-2026-cabo-verde-americans-homecoming)._