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From a LinkedIn-recruited defender to a 40-year-old star goalkeeper, here’s what to know about the team from the African island nation that held European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw in their World Cup debut.

SINGAPORE: Cape Verde has been thrust into the spotlight after holding European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw, with their veteran goalkeeper brought to tears after a player-of-the-match performance.

The African island nation weathered 27 shots, none of which found their way into the net, making an instant impression in their World Cup debut on Monday (Jun 15).

Here are eight things to know about Cape Verde’s national football team.

They are called the Blue Sharks

The team is nicknamed the Blue Sharks, or Tubaroes Azuis in Portuguese, a nod to Cape Verde’s location in the Atlantic Ocean, off the western coast of West Africa.

Animal-inspired nicknames are common in African teams. Algeria are the Fennecs (a type of fox), the Democratic Republic of the Congo go by the Leopards and the Ivory Coast are known as the Elephants.

They are one of the smallest countries to make it to the World Cup

With a population of just over half a million, Cape Verde is the third-smallest nation by population to qualify for the World Cup, behind only Iceland in 2018 and Curacao this year.

Officially known as the Republic of Cabo Verde, the Atlantic archipelago takes its name from the Portuguese term for “green cape”, a reference to the nearby Cap-Vert peninsula in present-day Senegal.

Portuguese is the nation’s official language.

They topped a qualifying group that included Cameroon

Cape Verde booked their place at the World Cup by topping a group that included African giants Cameroon.

The Blue Sharks won seven of their 10 games in the qualifiers, losing just once. Their 3-0 victory over Eswatini sealed their first qualification for the world’s biggest sporting event.

During qualifying, Cape Verde lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and nearly 40 per cent of their goals came from set pieces.

They combine domestic talent with foreign-born players

More than half the squad hail from Cape Verde’s diasporic communities.

Their centre-back Roberto Lopes, who is also known as Pico, was born in Ireland to a Cape Verdean father.

Logan Costa from Spanish football club Villarreal, the only player competing in one of Europe’s top five divisions, is another example. The centre-back was born in France to Cape Verdean parents.

They recruited Pico via LinkedIn

Pico, a player with Ireland’s football club Shamrock Rovers, was recruited via LinkedIn.

He initially dismissed a message written in Portuguese as spam, only realising later that it was a genuine call-up from the Blue Sharks when a follow-up message arrived in English nine months later.

Their newly minted star Vozinha is one of the tournament’s oldest players

At 40, goalkeeper Josimar Jose Evora Dia, better known as Vozinha, is one of the oldest players at the World Cup. 

Vozinha in Portuguese means “little voice”, a childhood nickname that stuck even though he did not like it at first.

He was named player of the match after making seven saves during the match against Spain, six of them from inside the box.

He is now the oldest goalkeeper in the tournament’s history to keep a clean sheet on debut.

Within a few hours of the final whistle, his Instagram account grew from a mere 50,000 followers to more than five million.

They have Africa’s top coach

Pedro Brito, also known as Bubista, was named the 2025 African coach of the year for leading Cape Verde to the World Cup.

The 56-year-old has been with the team for more than six years.

In the late 1990s, he captained the Blue Sharks and played centre-back for club sides in Angola and the Spanish lower leagues.

Their highest-ever FIFA World Ranking was 27th in Feb 2014

The Blue Sharks reached their record-high FIFA ranking of 27th in February 2014, after making it to the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations on their tournament debut. 

They are now ranked 64th.

They joined FIFA in 1985 and played their first international match in 1978.

LOS ANGELES: Iran twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with New Zealand in an exciting World Cup clash at Los Angeles Stadium on Monday (Jun 15), as protests against Tehran’s government and a tentative agreement to end the US-Iran war formed a charged backdrop to the match.

New Zealand took an early lead when Elijah Just volleyed home from inside the box after being set up by Chris Wood.

The goal was celebrated by some fans critical of the Iranian government, many of whom carried Iran’s pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag. Some also booed Iran’s national anthem before kickoff.

But most of the crowd of more than 70,000 appeared firmly behind Team Melli, chanting “Ir-ran! Ir-ran!” and erupting when Ramin Rezaeian equalised shortly after the half-hour mark.

Rezaeian, one of several Iran players who had not played club football since February after the domestic league was suspended amid US and Israeli airstrikes, reacted quickest to a blocked shot and poked the ball past the advancing goalkeeper.

Wood and Just combined again early in the second half, the New Zealand captain sliding a precise pass into the 26-year-old forward’s path before Just hammered home to restore the All Whites’ lead.

Iran responded 10 minutes later with a super goal from Mohammad Mohebbi, who headed Rezaeian’s perfect cross in off the far post to make it 2-2.

Iran created better chances leading up to the final whistle but were unable to find a winner as the sun set over Southern California.

“I love my mom and dad. They always pray for me in difficult times, so this is for them,” Rezaeian said.

“And also for my people in Iran.”

GROUP G ALL SQUARE

The stalemate means all the teams in Group G have one point after Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt earlier on Monday.

New Zealand, making their third appearance at the finals, remain without a win at a World Cup after seven matches. Iran are looking to reach the knockout round for the first time.

“We’re disappointed to not win,” New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley said.

“When you’re leading twice in a game you come away with that what if. We were probably as close as we’ve ever been to winning a game at the World Cup and we couldn’t quite do that today.

“But we’re in the World Cup, we didn’t lose, we stayed in the game, scored goals and created chances, so it was a really strong performance I’m really proud of.”

The match laid bare divisions among Iranian American fans, many of whom said they felt torn between pride at seeing Iran on the sport’s biggest stage, anger over Tehran’s crackdown on protesters and concern over Washington’s bombing campaign.

Los Angeles is home to the world’s largest Iranian diaspora, and before kickoff, about 300 to 500 protesters gathered outside the stadium, waving anti-government signs and flags.

Some Iranian Americans said attending the match would imply support for Iran’s government, while others said they wanted to set politics aside and support the players.

Ahead of the tournament, Iran moved their base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, where they have been warmly received by the locals. But the change means the squad has to travel internationally for all three of their group matches.

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team were being forced to fly back to Mexico on Monday night and complained that the head of their federation, as well as members of the coaching and management teams, were unable to make the trip after being denied visas into the United States.

“I think perhaps our team is the most oppressed one in the World Cup,” he said through a translator.

However, he was pleased by how the team were received by the fans.

“I think it was a very good atmosphere,” he said.

“It was very positive, I was very happy with the supporters and the fans who were supporting the Iranian players. I think that was a very great achievement.”

Iran will return to Los Angeles to face Belgium, while New Zealand take on Egypt in Vancouver in the next Group G matches on Sunday.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — — Nick Kurtz hit two homers and drove in five runs, Jeff McNeil also went deep and knocked in four, and the Athletics beat the scuffling Pittsburgh Pirates 11-2 on Monday night.

J.T. Ginn pitched six strong innings for the A’s, who returned to their regular temporary home in California after going 4-2 on a homestand at their Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, where the big league club plans to move into a new stadium in 2028.

McNeil went 3 for 4 and snapped an 0-for-20 slump with an RBI single in the second. Kurtz followed with an opposite-field homer to left for a 3-0 lead and finished 3 for 5.

McNeil hit his third homer to make it 5-1 in the fourth and added an RBI single in the seventh before Kurtz followed with a three-run shot to left. Eight of Kurtz’s 18 home runs have come in June.

Lawrence Butler sparked the five-run seventh with an RBI double after Zack Gelof reached on a two-out error by second baseman Brandon Lowe.

Ginn (5-3) allowed just an unearned run and six hits with two walks, throwing 98 pitches.

Kurtz had the first of three straight singles to load the bases in the first before Jared Jones (1-1) came back to strike out the side. Henry Bolte hit a one-out double before McNeil drove him in during a three-run second.

Jones permitted five runs and eight hits over four innings in his fourth start this season.

Tyler Soderstrom singled in front of Jacob Wilson’s ground-rule double to begin the fifth against Pirates reliever Carmen Mlodzinski. Gelof upped the majors’ longest current hitting streak to 19 games with an RBI single for a 6-1 lead.

Jake Mangum had an RBI single in the fourth for the Pirates, and Endy Rodríguez went 3 for 3 with a solo homer in the eighth.

The Athletics (36-36) moved within a half-game of the first-place Mariners in the AL West.

Pittsburgh (36-37) has lost eight of 10. The Pirates are 9-19 all-time against the A’s.

HOUSTON — Colt Keith rediscovered his home run swing in Houston, swatting three round-trippers against the Astros on Monday night.

Keith, who bats from the left side, hit a towering, two-out, two-run shot to right-center in the third inning, a two-run drive down the right-field line in the seventh, and an opposite-field solo homer in the ninth over the 19-foot left field wall at Daikin Park.

“I was up there and on-time for the fastballs tonight and I was able to do some damage,” Keith said after finishing with six RBIs in the Tigers’ 9-3 victory. “We all know they come in bunches in this game.”

The 24-year-old Keith hit 13 home runs in each of his previous two major league seasons, but had just one this year before Monday night’s power display in Houston.

The only Tigers player younger than Keith to launch three home runs in a game was Hall of Fame outfielder Al Kaline, who was 20 when he did it on April 17, 1955. This century, only eight Tigers have accomplished the feat — including Miguel Cabrera twice.

“I see the ball well here,” said Keith, who was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first. “Definitely one of the best games I’ve had in my life. It was a lot of fun. We’ve just got to keep stacking days, and keep doing it and get back in this thing.”

The Tigers (30-42) have struggled for much of this season, but were six games out of the American League’s third and final wild-card playoff spot after Monday’s victory.

Max Muncy and Andy Pages of the Los Angeles Dodgers are the only other major leaguers to hit three homers in a game this season. Muncy did it April 10 against Texas and Pages accomplished the feat May 6 — also in Houston.

HOUSTON — — Colt Keith had three home runs and six RBI as the Detroit Tigers beat the Houston Astros 9-3 on Monday night.

Kevin McGonigle and Spencer Torkelson also homered in an 11-hit game for Detroit.

The 24-year-old Keith, who entered the day with one home run in 65 games this season, became the youngest Tigers player with a three-homer game since 20-year-old Al Kaline in 1955. This century, only eight Tigers have accomplished the feat — including Miguel Cabrera twice.

McGonigle homered in the second inning for a 2-0 lead before Keith drilled his first homer of the night, a 411-foot two-run shot, in the third. Torkelson followed with his 12th home run of the season to put the Tigers up 5-0.

Keith launched his second longball over the right-field wall to plate two more runs in the seventh before capping the scoring with a solo shot to left in the ninth to seal the win.

Keith was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first and Dillon Dingler scored on a passed ball by Astros catcher Christian Vázquez in the fifth.

Kyle Finnegan (2-0) threw a one-hit fifth inning to earn the win in relief. Tyler Holton worked 1 2/3 innings for his fifth straight scoreless outing. The Tigers scratched starter Troy Melton with back tightness before the game, forcing a bullpen game.

Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve connected on back-to-back homers in the third to pull the Astros to 5-3, but that was all Houston mustered offensively.

Kai-Wei Teng (3-6) gave up five runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings for the Astros. He struck out nine.

ST. LOUIS — — Dustin May took a perfect game into the seventh inning before finishing a one-hitter as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 3-0 on Monday night.

Jimmy Crooks had a two-run double and Alec Burleson added an RBI double for the Cardinals, who won for the eighth time in 11 games.

May (5-6) struck out nine and walked one. He threw 69 of his 101 pitches for strikes during his first complete game in 71 major league starts.

The 28-year-old right-hander didn’t allow a baserunner until he walked Fernando Tatis Jr. to begin the seventh. Manny Machado singled one out later, putting runners at the corners, but Gold Glove shortstop Masyn Winn turned a nifty double play on Gavin Sheets’ grounder up the middle to keep it 3-0.

May struck out the side in the sixth and eighth. He became the first Cardinals starter to get an out in the eighth inning this year and the first to go the distance since Sonny Gray threw a one-hitter against the Guardians on June 27 last season.

It was the ninth complete game and sixth individual shutout in the majors this season.

Center fielder Jackson Merrill robbed Burleson of a home run against Lucas Giolito leading off the fourth. Giolito retired eight in a row before Lars Nootbaar and Winn had two-out singles. Crooks followed with a double to left-center for a 2-0 lead.

Iván Herrera walked with two outs in the fifth and advanced on a wild pitch before scoring on Burleson’s double.

Giolito (2-2) allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings of relief after opener Wandy Peralta pitched a scoreless first. Kyle Hart gave up one hit over two innings.

Hart was recalled from Triple-A El Paso when the Padres placed closer Mason Miller on the bereavement list. Miller, who leads the majors with 19 saves, will miss the series.

Padres manager Craig Stammen served a one-game suspension after Major League Baseball ruled that reliever Ron Marinaccio intentionally hit Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson with a pitch on Saturday. Marinaccio received a three-game suspension, but he appealed and remains eligible to pitch.

Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr has undergone surgery to repair a fractured right foot and is expected to be healthy for the start of the season, the team announced Monday.

The Wizards’ 7-foot big man sustained the injury on a contact play during an offseason workout late last week.

Sarr, drafted second overall in the 2024 draft, is entering his third season. After an arduous rebuild that has seen Washington lose 64 or more games in each of the past three seasons, the Wizards are looking to take a leap forward and be a playoff contender this season with Sarr as a big piece of their plan.

Sarr, 21, showed promise last season when healthy, averaging 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. He was limited to 48 games due to injuries.

The Wizards traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis last season to accelerate the development of their young core of Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington, Will Riley and whomever the franchise chooses as the No. 1 overall pick in this month’s draft.

Washington hopes Young’s passing and playmaking and Davis’ presence on both ends will help Sarr thrive in his pivotal third season.

No player in MLB history has hit more home runs for a single franchise than Hank Aaron, who launched 733 for the Braves. Every team has its own home run king and, as we progress through the 2026 season, a change is on the horizon.

Currently, the Royals all-time home run leader is George Brett with 317, but catcher Salvador Perez isn’t too far behind. With 312 career home runs, he’s looking to make history this season.

Below are each team’s all-time home run leaders. Players in bold are still active on their respective teams.

Arizona Diamondbacks – Luis Gonzalez, 224

Athletics – Mark McGwire, 363

Atlanta Braves – Hank Aaron, 733

Baltimore Orioles – Cal Ripken Jr., 431

Boston Red Sox – Ted Williams, 521

Chicago Cubs – Sammy Sosa, 545

Chicago White Sox – Frank Thomas, 448

Cincinnati Reds – Johnny Bench, 389

Cleveland Guardians – Jim Thome, 337

Colorado Rockies – Todd Helton, 369

Detroit Tigers – Al Kaline, 399

Houston Astros – Jeff Bagwell, 449

Kansas City Royals – George Brett, 317

Los Angeles Angels – Mike Trout, 420

Los Angeles Dodgers – Duke Snider, 389

Miami Marlins – Giancarlo Stanton, 267

Milwaukee Brewers – Ryan Braun, 352

Minnesota Twins – Harmon Killebrew, 559

New York Mets – Pete Alonso, 264

New York Yankees – Babe Ruth, 659

Philadelphia Phillies – Mike Schmidt, 548

Pittsburgh Pirates – Willie Stargell, 475

San Diego Padres – Manny Machado, 206

San Francisco Giants – Willie Mays, 646

Seattle Mariners – Ken Griffey Jr., 417

St. Louis Cardinals – Stan Musial, 475

Tampa Bay Rays – Evan Longoria, 261

Texas Rangers – Juan González, 372

Toronto Blue Jays – Carlos Delgado, 336

Washington Nationals – Ryan Zimmerman, 284

CHICAGO — — Pete Crow-Armstrong became the first major league player to hit for the cycle this season as the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.

Chicago trailed 4-3 in the ninth inning before Pedro Ramírez hit an RBI single off Seth Halvorsen with the bases loaded and nobody out. Matt Shaw then walked on five pitches to force home the winning run.

Cole Carrigg’s three-run homer off Caleb Thielbar in the eighth, his third home run in seven big league games, gave the Rockies a 4-2 lead. Crow-Armstrong’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half pulled Chicago within one.

Crow-Armstrong extended his on-base streak to 19 games with his second leadoff home run in three games, a 434-foot shot center field off Michael Lorenzen.

Crow-Armstrong led off the third with a triple to center. He doubled in the fifth and singled leading off the seventh for the 13th cycle in Cubs history and second since 1993.

A triple short of a cycle on Saturday, Crow-Armstrong joined Hack Wilson (1930) as the only Cubs center fielders to hit for the cycle since 1901.

Crow-Armstrong finished 4 for 4 with two RBI but only scored once as the Cubs went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position until the ninth. He was picked off first base by Brennan Bernardino after his single.

Daniel Palencia (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Cubs (38-35).

Juan Mejia (1-6) took the loss for the Rockies (27-46).

Chicago starter Shota Imanaga allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings. He was lifted with two on before reliever Phil Maton walked Carrigg to force home Colrado’s first run.

With the score tied 1-all in the sixth, Shaw tripled into the right-field corner to score Moises Ballesteros from first.

Ramírez entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth.

PHOENIX — — Pavin Smith hit a tiebreaking solo homer off the right-field foul pole, Ryne Nelson threw seven quality innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Monday night.

Smith broke a 2-all tie in the seventh when he launched his first homer in nearly a calendar year. The veteran first baseman — who came into the game with a .103 batting average — has spent most of this season on the injured list after having surgery to remove bone chips in his left elbow.

Geraldo Perdomo added an RBI double later in the seventh that made it 4-2. Paul Sewald gave up a solo homer to Donovan Walton with two outs in the ninth, but struck out Oswald Peraza to earn his 18th save in 19 chances.

Nelson (3-5) allowed two runs over seven innings, scattering nine hits and striking out five. The right-hander has thrown at least seven innings in five of his last seven starts.

Los Angeles slugger Mike Trout hit his 16th homer — an opposite-field shot — to tie the score at 2 in the fifth. It was the three-time MVP’s 420th career home run.

Walbert Ureña (4-5) threw seven innings for the Angels, giving up four runs — three earned.

The Angels grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on Jo Adell’s double down the right-field line that brought home Trout. The D-backs tied it in the bottom half on Gabriel Moreno’s RBI single.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returned to Arizona’s lineup after missing roughly three weeks with a strained left hamstring. He had an RBI single in the fourth.