FILE PHOTO: Logan Costa (in yellow) ruptured his ACL in a pre-season friendly last July ‌and only returned to action on Sunday, featuring as a late second-half substitute for Villarreal in its 2-0 ‌loss at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Cape Verde is taking a gamble on ​the fitness of centre-back Logan Costa, naming ⁠him in its 26-man FIFA World Cup 2026 squad on Monday despite a long-term injury.

The Paris-born defender ruptured his ACL in a pre-season friendly last July ‌and only returned to action on Sunday, featuring as a late second-half substitute for Villarreal in its 2-0 ‌loss at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.

Costa’s 13-minute ‌La Liga ⁠cameo, however, was enough to convince coach Bubista to ⁠include him with the 25-year-old widely regarded as his country’s best player.

There were no other surprises in the squad announcement as the coach stuck with the ​core of players who ensured ‌a first World Cup appearance for one of Africa’s smallest nations.

Cape Verde’s population of some 600,000 makes it the third smallest country to compete at a World Cup, but its players are almost all drawn from the country’s large ​diaspora.

Players born in France, Ireland, the Netherlands and former colonial power Portugal dominate the squad, while American-born ⁠goalkeeper Carlos dos Santos was picked as back-up to 39-year-old Vozinha. Dos Santos had previously been in the U.S. squad and had ‌a switch of allegiance approved by FIFA last week. He is the only uncapped player in the selection.

Cape Verde announced it will take on Serbia in a World Cup warm-up match in Lisbon on May 31 and Bermuda in East Hartford on June 6.

It plays in Group H at the World Cup, starting ‌with former winner Spain in Atlanta on June 15 before facing Uruguay ​and Saudi Arabia.

Published on May 18, 2026