Cape Verde's unprecedented participation in the World Cup strengthens connection with the city of MG Cape Verde's debut in the 2026 World Cup is this Monday (15), against Spain. And the African country's first participation in the World Cup mobilized residents of a city of the same name almost 5 thousand kilometers away, in the south of Minas. With 11,400 inhabitants, Cape Verde in Minas Gerais gained painted streets, little flags and even a big screen for the World Cup games. Children and adults "adopted" the African country's team and now come together to support the second favorite team at the World Cup - the first is still Brazil. 📲 Follow the g1 Sul de Minas page on Instagram The mobilization arose from an initiative organized by the members of a bar located in the central square. According to businesswoman Laís Podestá, dozens of children participated in the painting. “It was beautiful to see the square full of engaged families and children”, recalls the businesswoman. With flags of both countries painted on the asphalt, Cape Verde, Minas Gerais, gets into the spirit of the World Cup and adopts the African country's national team as its second fan base Katia Melo Among the participants was publicist Mariana Oliveira, who brought her daughter Raquel, aged 2, and her nieces Sofia, aged 8, and Marina, aged 10. For her, the activity helped to revive a World Cup tradition and provided moments of coexistence between the children. "They met other children, learned to share materials, paint, and draw together. It was a very special moment of coexistence. Everyone played a lot", he says. Businesswoman Jacira Itelvina Viana also participated in the action alongside her son João Miguel, aged 10. According to her, the experience impacted many of the children who had never participated in a similar mobilization. "It was a moment of great joy. I think many of them had never experienced anything like this. They were happy to participate, to help make the paintings and to learn a little about this story", he says. In addition to decorating the streets, the program includes the installation of a big screen to broadcast the Brazilian team's games. Cape Verde's matches will be shown on a television installed outside the Laís bar. Fans for Brazil remain strong, but are now accompanied by support for the African team. “As this is Cape Verde’s first participation in a World Cup, we decided that the fans will go to both countries”, explains Laís. Mariana took her daughter and nieces to help paint the street Mariana Oliveira Coincidence of names draws attention The coincidence between the names transformed the city of Minas Gerais into a kind of Brazilian "namesake" of the African nation. And, if the World Cup brought the two places even closer together, curiosity about this connection is already part of the residents' routine. Attendant Mariele Mendes da Silva remembers that she already had to explain the existence of the city in Minas Gerais during a trip to Aparecida (SP). "Talking to a woman, she asked where we were from. As we were in a group, we replied that we were from Cape Verde. Then she asked if it was Cape Verde, in Africa. We explained that there is also Cape Verde de Minas, and she was surprised", he says. In the city's schools, similarity also became a topic of learning. Student Lorena Batista dos Santos, aged 10, says that the subject is often discussed in the classroom. "I think it's really cool, because the teacher has already been teaching everyone about this coincidence between our city and the African country", he says. City of MG divides fans between Brazil and Cape Verde Art g1 Classmate Bárbara Mendes Dias, 10 years old, says she was surprised to discover that the Portuguese spoken in Cape Verde is different from that used in Brazil. "The Portuguese we speak here is not the same as there. Theirs is more similar to that of Portugal. It even failed the test", he reports. In an interview with g1, Cape Verde's ambassador to Brazil, José Pedro Máximo Chantre D'Oliveira, said that he already knew about the existence of the city in Minas Gerais even before taking office. In 2024, he visited the municipality to learn more about the local history and discuss the possible origins of the shared name. "What caught my attention the most was the fraternity of people around this name. We are Cape Verdeans and they are Cape Verdeans, but around the same designation," he said. Where does the name Cape Verde come from? The coincidence between the name of the city of Minas Gerais and the African country has aroused curiosity for decades, but the origin of the municipality is still the subject of debate. According to social scientist Lidia Torres, the best-known explanation among residents is linked to a popular legend about a cable that sprouted from the ground and turned green. Another version associates the name with the existence of precious stones similar to those in Africa. Historical research, however, points to a different hypothesis. "Based on documentary sources, it is believed that the name of the city arose because of the so-called 'Cape Verde blacks', a slave or free black population that was present in large numbers in the region", explains the researcher. According to Lidia, studies based on parish records from the 18th and 19th centuries indicate a strong presence of the black population in the formation of the municipality. Research suggests that more than half of the region's inhabitants were enslaved or freed people. Despite the coincidence with the name of the African country, the researcher warns that it is not possible to assert a direct link between the origin of the city of Minas Gerais and the archipelago located on the west coast of Africa. This is because Cape Verde was an important hub for the Atlantic slave trade. Many Africans who passed through the islands before being sent to Brazil ended up generically identified as "Cape Verdes", regardless of their true origin. "It is not possible to say that the enslaved people present in the region came from Cape Verde. What we can say is that there is a historical relationship between the city and the black population, whether enslaved or free, who helped form the municipality", he states. The country's ambassador Cape Verde visited the municipality of the same name in the south of Minas Cape Verde City Hall Cape Verde, Minas Gerais, gets into the spirit of the World Cup and adopts the African team as its second supporter Karuncho/Sound Studio Cape Verde (MG) Wagner Silva/EPTV See more news from the region on g1 Sul de Minas