Bubista leads Cape Verde from Boa Vista to World Cup stage

MIAMI GARDENS, FL — For 11 years, Pedro Leitão Brito — aka "Bubista" —wore No. 9 and captained Cape Verde’s national team, never reaching a World Cup. Now, as the team’s manager, he's finally on the sport’s biggest stage.

So far, his Cape Verde side has outperformed expectations in its first World Cup appearance. The Blue Sharks, representing the second smallest country to ever make the World Cup, earned a scoreless draw against tournament favorite Spain last Monday.

“Even before we made it this far, we were not just coming to participate,” Bubista said. “Our aim was to show that we are at such a level to face up to the best teams in the world.”

Bubista's first World Cup experience came as a boy on the island of Boa Vista. In the village of Povoação Velha, there was only one television set. He and his neighbors gathered around it to watch the tournament, captivated by players like Diego Maradona. 

Football quickly became a constant in his life, and he recalls growing up playing in the streets and local fields with friends. He even used makeshift balls his mother made from old socks when he was child.

The same passion that took root in Boa Vista eventually shaped his path from player to coach.

Bubista built a playing career as a center back. He played in Spain, Angola and his home country, winning Angola’s top-flight Girabola title with Atlético Sport Aviação in 2002.

After his playing career ended in 2006, Bubista began coaching. He took on his first head coaching job in 2012 with Cape Verdean side CS Mindelense and coached multiple teams around the country before landing the national team job in 2020.

Since taking over the national team in 2020, he has transformed the Blue Sharks into one of Africa's surprise success stories. Cape Verde reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations before qualifying for its first World Cup in 2025, a feat that saw Bubista named African Coach of the Year.

Now, the rest of the world is getting to know his team and his country.

For Bubista, the tournament is a chance for a nation of roughly 500,000 people to prove it belongs on the global stage.

“Underdogs can enjoy their matches and play against the big dogs,” said Bubista. “We are a very united team, and we want to enjoy this time.”

There's plenty to enjoy right now. Cape Verde’s result against Spain sparked a surge of attention on social media, with the squad drawing endless praise after its opening match. And it set Cape Verde up to potentially do what many considered unthinkable before the tournament began: advance out of the group.

The Blue Sharks face Uruguay at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 21 as they look to build on their strong start in group play.

“We do know the potential that Uruguay carries as a team. They have wonderful players,” said Bubista. “Just like we did with Spain, our aim is to be at the right mentality, at the right headspace, to step in without fear.”

Katie Fryburger is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.