{"id":300542,"date":"2026-06-08T22:12:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/300542\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T22:12:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:12:19","slug":"cabo-verde-the-underdog-soccer-darling-selects-tampa-as-headquarters-for-world-cup-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/300542\/","title":{"rendered":"Cabo Verde, the underdog soccer darling, selects Tampa as headquarters for World Cup training"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Cabo Verde, also known as Cape Verde in the United States, made history when the tiny island country qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time, earning a spot in the 2026 competition held in North America.<\/p>\n

As the underdogs settle in for the ride, they have chosen Tampa as their headquarters, setting up their home base at the Tampa Bay Rowdies training facility, Waters Sportsplex. Located just down the road from the airport in a relatively secluded area, it\u2019s an ideal spot for a team that will be traveling often with matches in Atlanta, Miami, and Houston.<\/p>\n

For locals, this offers another team to pull for in the month-long World Cup. And while Cabo Verde are certainly underdogs, they\u2019re no pushovers when it comes to the field of play. As a country, they\u2019re an archipelago with a population of around half a million. As a soccer team, however, the Blue Sharks more than earned their first-ever appearance in the tournament.<\/p>\n

Cabo Verde clinched one of the 48 spots in this year\u2019s World Cup by finishing as the top team in Group D of CAF World Cup Qualifying. They romped with five wins in five games, taking down the favorites Cameroon in the process.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a fitting local connection for the team\u2019s choice of training facilities, too. One of the most potent strikers of the Rowdies Modern Era, Steevan Dos Santos, hails from Cabo Verde. Dos Santos netted 19 goals in two seasons with Tampa Bay, including the winning goal to seal the 2021 Eastern Conference title.<\/p>\n

Cabo Verde will host all their practice sessions, player workouts, team meetings and staff operations out of the Waters Sportsplex, which features two natural grass fields and one FIFA-approved artificial turf field. The Rowdies will train in St. Petersburg, where they have two huge games this weekend as they look to continue their run as the only undefeated team in American soccer this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is an absolute privilege for the Rowdies to host Cabo Verde as they make their historic World Cup debut,\u201d said Rowdies President Ryan Helfrick. \u201cOver the past several seasons, we have invested in transforming our facility into the premier training environment in the USL Championship and one of the best throughout the entire country. Tremendous credit goes to our operations and grounds crew for all their hard work to make this selection a possibility. Hosting Cabo Verde is an incredible opportunity to showcase our club and our community on an international stage as part of the world\u2019s largest sporting event.\u201d<\/p>\n

The facility and team training will be closed to the public, though you can catch Cabo Verde in action during the Group Stage beginning this week:<\/p>\n

June\u00a015:\u00a0Cabo Verde\u00a0vs. Spain\u00a0at\u00a0Atlanta\u00a0Stadium\u00a0(12 p.m. ET)\u00a0<\/p>\n

June 21:\u00a0Cabo Verde\u00a0vs. Uruguay\u00a0at\u00a0Miami\u00a0Stadium\u00a0(6 p.m. ET)\u00a0<\/p>\n

June\u00a026:\u00a0Cabo\u00a0Verde\u00a0vs.\u00a0Saudi Arabia\u00a0at\u00a0Houston\u00a0Stadium\u00a0(8 p.m. ET)<\/p>\n

You can follow along for the ride with Cabo Verde on their instagram page<\/a>, though it will help if you speak Portuguese. But hey, soccer and joy are international languages, no translator needed.<\/p>\n

Looking for more soccer fun? Be sure to check out Tampa Bay\u2019s biggest Team USA Watch Parties over in St. Pete<\/a>, beginning this weekend at, ironically, the Rowdies home field of Al Lang Stadium.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n