Ryan Mendes is not even a household name in Turkey, where he plays for second division Igdir, but next summer, football fans around the world will be well aware of both him and his team.
The 35-year-old is captain of the Cape Verde national team and was at the heart of their 3-0 win over Eswatini last week which booked them a first-ever appearance at the World Cup.
This was no freak occurrence as Cape Verde, who lean heavily on their Portuguese colonial past for a supply of players, are a very decent side.
At the last Africa Cup of Nations they topped their group, which included Ghana, reaching the quarter-finals where they lost on penalties to South Africa.
In the 2026 World Cup qualifying they again topped their group, this time finishing ahead of the once-mighty Cameroon.
“We have taken part in four African Cup of Nations (CAN) tournaments and we were also very close to qualifying for the 2014 World Cup,” Mendes told AFP.
“A lot has been achieved over the years. And today, we can say that this is the logical outcome.”
Behind the level-headed pragmatic response, though, lies a joyful incredulity that triggered a carnival-like atmosphere in the streets of the capital Praia at the end of last week’s victory.
“Honestly, I still can’t believe what we’ve achieved,” said Mendes, who began his career in France with Le Havre and Lille and also had a spell in England with Nottingham Forest.
“When I was little, I used to dream about Ronaldo’s Brazil and all the great football nations, and I dreamed of being there one day too.
“But what we experienced on Monday at home was something we had never seen before.
“It was magnificent, it was completely crazy. Everyone is so happy, the whole nation, whether in Cape Verde or in the diaspora. Just talking about it gives me goosebumps.”
With a population of around 525,000, the small archipelago off the coast of Senegal will become the second least populous country to participate in a World Cup after Iceland, and the smallest in terms of surface area.
They may not be blessed with star names like Ronaldo but Mendes is certain that the Blue Sharks can make a mark at the tournament.
“One thing’s for sure: we’re not going there just to play three games and come home,” he said.
“We don’t know our group yet but we want to make a good impression and play good football because that’s what we love most.
“We’re going to try to do our job and do what we know how to do.
“We want to live our story and write it ourselves. I hope it will be even better than our qualification.”
