PRAIA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Cabo Verde's FIFA World Cup journey ended Friday with a spirited 3-2 defeat to Argentina, but the final whistle did little to dampen the mood back home.

Sidny Lopes Cabral #13 of Cabo Verde celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Argentina and Cabo Verde at Miami Stadium on July 03, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo: AFP)

Across the Atlantic archipelago, every Cabo Verde goal sparked celebrations among fans watching in bars, public squares and living rooms. For many young footballers, the match offered something beyond the result -- the belief that players from their island nation could compete on the world's biggest stage.

One day before the Argentina match, that belief was already taking shape at the training ground of the Integrated Football Development School (EPIF), one of Cabo Verde's oldest youth football academies in the capital.

At the Sucupira pitch, children in blue training shirts warmed up before moving into passing drills, shooting practice and small-sided games. Parents watched from the sidelines, some filming the session on their phones.

"After Cabo Verde reached the World Cup, parents began to see football differently," said EPIF president Pedro Bettencourt. "They realized that football can take their children to a higher level, beyond what is possible in Cabo Verde."

Bettencourt said interest from families has increased in recent weeks, as children look to national team players not as distant stars, but as examples they can follow.

"They want to be like Vozinha, like Ryan, like Stopira, like Jovane Cabral," he said. "Now they see Cabo Verdean players sharing the same stage as Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and others."

For 10-year-old goalkeeper Diogo Silva Carvalho, the choice is clear.

"Vozinha," he said when asked about his idol. "He played spectacularly against Spain, and I am a goalkeeper too, so I support him."

Diogo proudly keeps a boot signed by Vozinha, Cabo Verde's national team goalkeeper, after meeting him during a national team event earlier this year.

Another young player, Liam, has a different target.

"I want to be like Telmo Arcanjo, or even better," he said. "What I like most is scoring goals and being with my teammates."

For Liam, dreams still begin with basics.

"Those who really love football and want to become players first need to learn the basics," he said. "So they need to be in an academy."

EPIF currently trains more than 300 children and teenagers aged between five and 19. The academy says football is only part of its mission, with discipline, school performance and behavior also central to its work.

"We want to help them become good citizens," said EPIF coordinator Alexander Moreira. "Football is a tool, but education comes with it."

As training ended, children carried their boots and water bottles off the pitch, still talking about goals, saves and the Blue Sharks.

Cabo Verde's World Cup campaign may be over, but at EPIF, the next one is already taking shape.