Cabo Verde’s World Cup run ended in overtime, but the tourism boom may be starting.
Ever since the African island nation (commonly known as Cape Verde in English) began playing in the World Cup, its national team, named the Blue Sharks in the Atlantic waters around the country, has become the smallest nation in terms of population to reach the knockout stage – and has taken fans from around the world along the way.
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The team progressed without a single win, holding Spain on points and coming from behind twice against Uruguay. In the round of 32, Cabo Verde pushed defending champions Argentina to extra time before losing 3-2.
As the campaign continued, US Google searches for “Cabo Verde vacation” jumped more than 5,000 percent compared to last year. Expedia recorded a similar increase, with searches from US users up more than 800 percent. Interest has extended beyond the United States: European travel operator TUI has reported that local searches have doubled since June 2025, and searches from Japan are up 110 percent.
In a country of about 525,000 people, the game put Cabo Verde in front of an audience far larger than its citizens and made many viewers ask two basic questions: Where exactly is it, and should I go there on vacation?
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Get to know Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde is a group of 10 volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa. Nine islands are inhabited, and each one offers its own unique character – from the seaside resorts of Sal and Boa Vista to the mountains of Santo Antão and the spectacular volcanic landscape of Fogo.
Originally uninhabited, Cabo Verde was first settled by the Portuguese in the 15th century (Portuguese is still spoken there). Centuries ago, Portugal used the islands as a hub for its shipping routes and for the global slave trade, according to the Cape Verdean Museum. The nation gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
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The country was already a major tourist destination before football fans started Googling. By 2025 alone, its hotels will welcome nearly 1.25 million guests. During the first quarter of 2026, the country increased by 16.8 percent in tourist arrivals from the same period in 2025. Tourism accounts for almost a quarter of the country’s economy, which had an estimated GDP of $3.1 billion by 2025.
American travelers remain a very small part of the industry. The United States accounted for only 1.1 percent of the country’s foreign hotel guests by 2025, making the current increase in searches remarkable even if only a fraction of those searches turn into booked travel.
This type of tourism development is exactly what countries hope for when they spend a lot of money to host or participate in international sporting events. Qatar has invested an estimated 220 billion dollars in stadiums, travel, hotels and other infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup, aiming to establish itself as a global destination. The strategy has worked, at least partially – the country has welcomed 4 million visitors by 2023 and is targeting more than 6 million a year by 2030.
Cabo Verde, by contrast, generated similar buzz with just four outstanding matches and a handful of rising stars, such as goalkeeper Josimar José Évora Dias, better known as Vozinha, who gained nearly 20 million fans during the tournament.
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Cabo Verde was not the only country to receive a boost in visibility at the World Cup. Norway’s run turned Erling Haaland into one of the tournament’s fan favorites, with Google searches for his name increasing by 900 percent worldwide and over 5,000 percent in Canada.
That attention has brought new fans to the Norwegian team, its “Viking Row” celebration, and the country’s following of one of soccer’s greatest stars.
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Host cities also benefited: during the first two weeks of the tournament, Boston-area hotel rooms and related tourism spending jumped 20 percent from a year earlier, while occupancy remained at 87 percent.
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For Cabo Verde, the question is whether that growing attention can extend beyond internet search and its economy. By now, though, millions more know the nation’s name and have seen enough of its beaches, mountains, and soccer highlights to consider opening another browser tab.