Andrew Olsson
January 29, 2026Cape Verde government signs cooperation agreements with Braga and Villarreal
Cape Verde government signs cooperation agreements with Braga and Villarreal
Agreements of cooperation were signed and announced between the Cape Verde government and prominent European football clubs Villarreal and Braga this week to increase the level of sport development in the African nation.
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The agreements apply to multiple sports but it appears that the emphasis will particularly be on football and futsal development. Representatives from Cape Verde’s Ministry of Youth and Sport, including the ministry’s Deputy Prime Minister, attended the ceremonies. Their meeting with Villarreal took place on Monday in eastern Spain before traveling to attend Wednesday’s ceremony in northern Portugal.
According to Cape Verdean outlet Expresso das Ilhas, three coaches from the island nation are attending Villarreal training sessions and workshops to experience the day-to-day operations. Many areas related to sport are being covered by these visits including physiotherapy, sports science, nutrition and sports psychology among other areas.
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It is a new era for sports in the country. The Cape Verde national football team is fresh off an historic achievement after qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making them the smallest country in land area to accomplish the feat.
This special moment in the history of the nation came from a strong cooperation between the Cape Verdean Football Federation and the government, and both entities are applying all their efforts towards taking advantage of the increased attention.
While qualifying for the World Cup is a notable moment, this is not an isolated accomplishment after the men’s national team qualified for four of the last seven editions of the Africa Cup of Nations. Os Tubarões Azuis (The Blue Sharks) performed excellently at these tournaments, reaching the quarterfinals twice (2013 and 2023) while advancing to the Round of 16 at the 2021 AFCON.
It will be interesting to see how these projects and cooperation agreements impact the development of sport as well as the football scene in the nation. However, it is clear that all entities in Cape Verde are working towards making sure that their moment in the spotlight does not go to waste with an eye towards the future.
