EconoScope | Chinese-built stadium upholds Cabo Verde's World Cup dream

(ECNS) -- About a week into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Cabo Verde drew global attention after holding defending champion Spain to a 0-0 draw in Group H.

For the small African island nation, the road to the World Cup began on Oct. 13, 2025 when Cabo Verde defeated Eswatini 3-0 in the final round of Group D qualifiers at the National Stadium in Praia to secure first place in the group and qualify for the World Cup for the first time in history.

The decisive victory was achieved on a pitch built with Chinese assistance.

Covering 94,000 square meters and capable of hosting 15,000 spectators, the National Stadium in Praia was completed and handed over by China in 2013. Before its construction, the country had no sports facility that met international standards.

Cabo Verde's then Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves described the stadium as one of the largest construction projects since the country's independence and thanked China for helping realize a national dream.

Since the stadium's completion, Chinese technicians have continued to provide maintenance support and training. The facility has enabled Cabo Verde to develop a more stable football system and host international competitions.

The stadium is just one example of China-Cabo Verde cooperation. A Chinese-built dam featured on Cabo Verde's 500-escudo banknote has helped meet the needs of irrigation and drinking water in the drought-prone nation. China has also assisted in Cabo Verdean construction of key public facilities, including the parliament building, government offices, the national library and national auditorium.

China has also sent 22 medical teams to Cabo Verde since 1984, according to Xinhua. In addition, China began implementing zero-tariff treatment on May 1, 2026, for products from 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China, including Cabo Verde.

The cooperation between the two countries has spanned infrastructure, healthcare and trade. Cabo Verde's World Cup debut has drawn renewed attention to the role that long-term investments in sports facilities and public infrastructure can play in supporting national development.

(By Gong Weiwei)