By way of winning their group in the Confederation of African World Cup qualifiers, Cape Verde stamped their ticket to the summer spectacle.
Head coach Bubista named his squad on Monday, including former Inter Miami CF II goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos.
A big part of Miami II’s early success in MLS NEXT Pro, Dos Santos stood in goal for parts of each of their first three seasons while also proving himself as a consistent first-team option.
His breakout season came in 2025 with a move to San Diego FC in MLS, where he kept 10 clean sheets en route to SDFC setting league records for points (63) and wins (19) in their expansion season.
Dos Santos previously represented the United States at the youth level, taking part in the U-17 World Cup in 2017 and the U-20 campaign in 2019. He used his one-time nationality switch option to Cape Verde earlier in the year, and it was approved on May 13.
Cape Verde 2026 World Cup roster by position
Goalkeepers (3):
- Vozinha, Chaves
- Márcio Rosa, Montana
- CJ dos Santos, San Diego FC
Defenders (9):
- Steven Moreira, Columbus Crew
- Wagner Pina, Trabzonspor
- João Paulo, FCSB
- Sidny Lopes Cabral, Benfica
- Logan Costa, Villarreal
- Pico, Shamrock Rovers
- Kelvin Pires, SJK Seinäjoki
- Stopira, Torreense
- Diney, Al Bataeh
Midfielders (6):
- Jamiro Monteiro, PEC Zwolle
- Telmo Arcanjo, Vitória Guimarães
- Yannick Semedo, Farense
- Laros Duarte, Puskás Akadémia
- Deroy Duarte, Ludogorets
- Kevin Pina, Krasnodar
Forwards (8):
- Ryan Mendes, Iğdır
- Willy Semedo, Omonia Nicosia
- Garry Rodrigues, Apollon Limassol
- Jovane Cabral, Estrela da Amadora
- Nuno da Costa, İstanbul Başakşehir
- Dailon Livramento, Casa Pia
- Gilson Benchimol, Akron Tolyatti
- Hélio Varela, Maccabi Tel Aviv
Group stage
Dos Santos and the Blue Sharks were drawn to Group H with Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia. They'll start with Spain on June 15 in Atlanta, Georgia.
