Preview: Cape Verde vs Serbia - prediction, team news, lineups

Stepping up their preparations for World Cup 2026, Cape Verde will face off against Serbia at Estadio do Restelo in a friendly on Sunday.

The Blue Sharks are looking for their first outright win in five games this weekend, while the Eagles are hoping to put the disappointment of missing out on this summer's tournament firmly in the past.

Match preview

Bubista's Cape Verde made history by qualifying for the World Cup for the very first time, and they are aiming to leave their mark on the competition in North America.

The Blue Sharks topped Group D in the African qualifiers, beating out continental giants Cameroon to claim first place after a 3-0 victory over Eswatini on October 13.

That triumph extended the nation's unbeaten streak in qualifying to an impressive seven games, and having lost just one of their 10 matches on the way to this summer's finals, Bubista's side more than earned their spot.

However, Cape Verde come into Sunday's friendly without a win since October's decisive success, and beating Finland on penalties back in late March brought an end to a run of three consecutive defeats.

This weekend's nominal hosts will be looking to find their feet before heading to the World Cup, where they will be the underdogs in Group H, kicking off against Spain on June 15.

Meanwhile, Serbia failed to qualify for the World Cup after losing 2-0 against England back in November, and they will be desperate to avoid another defeat this weekend as they process the disappointment.

The Eagles kicked off 2026 with a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Spain on March 27, though they were able to bounce back and beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 just three days later.

Veljko Paunovic's side are hoping to pick up where they left off, but considering that they have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last seven outings, they will need to tighten up at the back to do so.

Serbia have also proven lacklustre up top, and after failing to score four times during that seven-game stretch, it is clear to see that the team is in need of significant revitalisation.

Regardless of their opponents' strength in qualifying, the Eagles will be expecting to get the better of Cape Verde - who are ranked 69th in the world by FIFA - and should they be beaten once again, fans will be sure to make their frustrations known.

Cape Verde International Friendlies form:

Serbia International Friendlies form:

Team News

Cape Verde centre-back Logan Costa missed the majority of 2025-26 for Villarreal while recovering from a knee injury, but he may be in line for a start in the national side on Sunday ahead of the World Cup.

Should Costa make the XI, he could join Shamrock Rovers' Roberto Lopes at the heart of Bubista's defence, flanked by Wagner Pina of Columbus Crew and Sidny Lopes Cabral of Benfica.

As for Serbia, they are without a number of high-profile names and senior figures for this round of friendlies, including both goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, as well as striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth centre-half Veljko Milosavljevic has pulled out due to injury, though Petar Petrovic has been called up to replace the 18-year-old.

With that in mind, expect to see Strahinja Pavlovic start between the sticks, protected by a centre-back pairing of Strahinja Erakovic and Strahinja Pavlovic.

Further forward, Millwall striker Mihailo Ivanovic looks set to lead the line, supported by a trio of Veljko Birmancevic, Andrija Maksimovic and Andrija Zivkovic.

Cape Verde possible starting lineup:

Vozinha; Pina, Costa, Lopes, S Cabral; Duarte, Lenini; Mendes, Arcanjo, J Cabral; Livramento

Serbia possible starting lineup:

Stankovic; Mimovic, Erakovic, Pavlovic, Bukinac; Stankovic, Petrovic; Birmancevic, Maksimovic, Zivkovic; Mitrovic

We say: Cape Verde 1-1 Serbia

Cape Verde were impressive in qualifying, but have struggled for wins since, and they will be desperate to get back on track ahead of the World Cup.

Serbia missed out on this summer's tournament but they will still be expecting to triumph on Sunday, though the fact that they are without a number of senior stars could see them fall short.

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