EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field felt less like a neutral venue and more like Praia.

Cape Verde defeated Bermuda 3-0 Saturday in front of a predominantly Cape Verdean crowd, turning an international friendly into a celebration of the nation's historic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Blue Sharks are set to make their first-ever World Cup appearance this month, becoming one of the smallest nations to reach soccer's biggest stage. With one final match before the tournament, supporters from across New England packed the stands to send their team off in style.

New England is home to the largest Cape Verdean population outside of Cape Verde, particularly in Massachusetts. And that was evident throughout the match as fans showed up and showed out for a team preparing for its biggest moment in history.

The Cape Verde national team reciprocated that support with a stellar performance against Bermuda.

Willy Semedo opened the scoring in the 33rd minute to give Cape Verde a 1-0 halftime lead. The Blue Sharks controlled much of the match and limited Bermuda's opportunities to score.

Garry Rodrigues doubled the score in the 49th minute shortly, putting Bermuda under pressure and allowing Cape Verde to dictate the pace of the game.

Nuno da Costa added the final goal in stoppage time, scoring in the 90th minute plus one to seal the 3-0 victory.

For head coach Pedro "Bubista" Leitão Brito, the match represented more than a result. It was another opportunity for Cape Verde to prove that smaller nations can compete alongside the world's best.

"We want to be able to confront the other teams in the level that we do," he said. "Even though our country is smaller… we belong, and we can play at the level that we have."

Bubista hopes his squad can serve as an example for other nations seeking success on the international stage.

"We want to demonstrate that a small country, like Cape Verde, is capable of playing at a level that we, we belong to, as long as there is, uh goals, and we are organized, playing there, we are an example of that."

With the victory, Cape Verde heads into their first World Cup appearance with confidence. The Blue Sharks will open Group H play against Spain on June 15 in Atlanta.