Cape Verde coach Bubista: From sneaking in to watch the World Cup to leading his country's debut
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- Bubista, the coach of Cape Verde, has led the nation to its first-ever World Cup appearance.
- He dreamt of playing in the World Cup since childhood, recalling watching the 1982 tournament on a neighbor's TV.
- Cape Verde will compete in Group H against Spain, and Bubista admires coaches like Vicente del Bosque.
Pedro Leitão Brito, known universally as Bubista, has achieved a historic milestone for Cape Verde, guiding the small island nation to its first World Cup appearance. At 56, the former defender is realizing a dream that began over four decades ago when he was a child trying to sneak into a neighbor's house to watch the 1982 World Cup on a black-and-white television.
A small country can achieve a great goal.
Bubista, now hailed as a national hero in the volcanic archipelago of about 520,000 people, will be present at football's biggest stage without needing to scheme for a glimpse of the action. He describes his lifelong connection to football as something he "lives 24 hours a day," stemming from his childhood when his mother would make balls out of socks.
His journey from a hopeful spectator of the 1982 tournament to orchestrating Cape Verde's World Cup debut is remarkable. The team is set to face Spain, the European champions and a tournament favorite, in their opening match. Bubista's connection to Spain extends beyond this encounter; he had a brief stint playing in Badajoz in 1996 and holds deep admiration for Vicente del Bosque, the coach who led Spain to their 2010 World Cup victory.
I've carried it inside since I was very young, when my mother made us balls with socks. I live it 24 hours a day.
Bubista also counts Franz Beckenbauer and Marcelo Bielsa among his coaching inspirations. He will face Bielsa's team in the second group stage match on June 21. Cape Verde, having surprised many in the Africa Cup of Nations, faces a challenging group in the Canada-United States-Mexico 2026 tournament.
He is one of my great references as a coach; I admire him for his stance and his elegance in solving problems leading groups of naturally heterogeneous players.
In Povoação Velha, his hometown, where he used to sneak out to watch legends like Diego Maradona and Lothar Matthäus, Bubista could never have imagined becoming the African coach of the year (2025) or receiving a national decoration from the president before traveling to the U.S. for the cup. President José Maria Neves emphasized the national pride, stating, "Our national team is our greatest presentation to the world," as he joined the delegation in Tampa to witness the historic debut.
Our national team is our greatest presentation to the world.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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