Cabo Verde’s Historic Debut: FIFA Museum presents Sidny Lopes Cabral’s World Cup shorts 

By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau

 Shorts worn by Cabo Verde international Sidny Lopes Cabral at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ are among the objects presented by the FIFA Museum, preserving a physical reminder of the island nation’s historic first appearance at the tournament. Still bearing a visible stain across the number on the left side, the shorts were collected directly from the tournament and preserved exactly as they left the pitch.

Cabo Verde’s first appearance at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ became an extraordinary chapter in the nation’s football history. Having progressed beyond the group stage on their tournament debut, the island nation produced another unforgettable moment in the Round of 32, when Sidny Lopes Cabral struck a spectacular late equaliser against Argentina, a goal later voted the Hyundai Goal of the Tournament by fans.

His shorts from Cabo Verde’s encounter with Uruguay now form part of the FIFA Museum’s collection. A visible stain remains across the number on the left side, a small but distinctive trace of a tournament in which Cabo Verde made a far bigger impression than many had expected.

The shorts feature alongside other objects from the tournament, preserved by the FIFA Museum as tangible pieces of football history.

Photographs of all featured objects, including detailed close-ups of the marks left by the game, as well as individual object stories and additional background information, are available for download.