Team USA will get most of the attention, but Tampa will have its own home side to follow when the FIFA World Cup begins in about two weeks across North America.
Introducing the Blue Sharks of Cabo Verde, who will be practicing next month — and perhaps, through mid-July — at the Waters SportsPlex, the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ training facility in Town ’N County.
The African island nation, which qualified for the quadrennial event for the first time, selected Tampa as one of 25 base camps in markets that will not host matches.
“The presence of the teams that train and stay in these communities — as well as the fans and media who follow them — will generate a significant socioeconomic boost while ensuring more people in more places feel the FIFA World Cup buzz,” the governing body said in a statement this week.
The Blue Sharks — or Tubarões Azuis, as they are known at home — are expected to arrive in Tampa on June 8. The Consulate of Cabo Verde is planning a welcome event, according to a Facebook post from the Cape Verdean-American Association of Florida.
A Rowdies spokesman said local youth teams will be invited to watch one of the training sessions but was unable to provide details on events open to the public.
Looking to ‘achieve something big’
The World Cup, which kicks off June 11, will be hosted for the first time by three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Another first: 48 nations will compete, up from 32. As such, there were more qualifying positions. Africa has nine guaranteed spots, up from five in the 2022 tournament, providing a path for countries such as Cabo Verde, which joins the global stage during its 50th anniversary of independence from Portugal.
Cabo Verde reached the Cup by finishing atop Group D in the Confederation of African Football qualifiers. It opens group stage play June 15 against international heavyweight Spain in Atlanta.
On June 21, the Blue Sharks meet Uruguay at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, which will host seven games during the tournament. Cabo Verde completes Group H play against Saudi Arabia in Houston on June 26.
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Cabo Verde — aka Cape Verde — is an archipelago off Africa’s west coast with an area of about 1,500 square miles, making it the smallest country to reach a World Cup. And with just over 500,000 people, it has the second-smallest population in tournament history (behind Iceland in 2018), according to FIFA.
“The World Cup is an incredible opportunity for our people and Africa as a whole,” Bubista, the Blue Sharks’ coach. “We’re a small country and we’re setting an example, showing that no matter how tiny you are, you can achieve something big by making it to the World Cup.”
England vs. New Zealand warm-up in Tampa
If you’re not into Blue Sharks, Tampa will host a warm-up match between England and New Zealand on June 6 at Raymond James Stadium. Another warm-up with England and Costa Rica is scheduled for June 10 at Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium. Both games are at 4 p.m.
It’s the first time England (“The Three Lions”) has played in the U.S. in 30 years.
Two other Florida sites will host base camps: Curacao at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and Portugal at the Gardens North County District Park in Palm Beach Gardens.
“Team Base Camps are an integral part of the fabric of any FIFA World Cup,” Heimo Schirgi, chief operating officer of this year’s event, said in a statement. “They are where teams put down roots, train and recuperate, and experience the day-to-day rhythms of the tournament.”
Also, the Haitian team has been practicing in Port St. Lucie this week but will leave for its team base in New Jersey on June 8.
The World Cup championship match is slated for MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
