Cape Verde’s Pico Lopes reflects on World Cup run: ‘We deserve to be here’

By Ainsley Flood, CNN (CNN) — In every World Cup, there’s an underdog. It’s always a memorable storyline, but in 2026, Cape Verde stole the show. The island nation off the west coast of Africa has a population of about half a million and was ranked 67th in the world. It is the second-smallest country