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One of Cape Verde's players is under investigation in New Zealand for an alleged sexual assault -Credit:2026 FIFA
A Cape Verde player currently subject to a New Zealand police investigation regarding an alleged sexual assault has been included in the country's squad for this summer's FIFA World Cup.
Cape Verde unveiled its squad on Tuesday, becoming the fourteenth of the 48 nations participating at this summer's tournament to announce their selections. The Blue Sharks will be making their World Cup debut, having clinched qualification last October by winning their African qualifying group ahead of Cameroon following a 3-0 victory over Eswatini.
The player's selection comes despite New Zealand police confirming in a statement that an investigation remains active, as per The Mirror US.
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Cape Verde qualified for the FIFA World Cup in October -Credit:Hannah Peters - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
"New Zealand Police can confirm an allegation is under investigation, reported to us on April 10, 2026, in central Auckland. We are unable to comment further at this time," the statement read.
The New Zealand Herald reported that the alleged incident occurred at the Cape Verde team hotel in Auckland on the evening of March 27, shortly after the team's 4-2 loss to Chile at Eden Park in the FIFA Series, a collection of four-team international friendly tournaments organized by FIFA across eight different countries.
Reports indicated authorities examined CCTV footage from the hotel and that the complainant had been "struggling to cope" since the night of the alleged attack.
New Zealand Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell confirmed his organization had been in contact with FIFA about the matter.
"We've raised it with FIFA based on the media reports," he said. "They'd also had somebody reach out to them, so they're aware of the situation and monitoring it closely." Pragnell acknowledged the gravity of the allegation. "Any serious allegation like this is concerning," he said. "The key is that it's investigated in full by the police."
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He also emphasized that New Zealand Football had not yet been contacted by authorities but indicated they would cooperate with any inquiries if necessary.
FIFA has stated it cannot comment on an active investigation, though the governing body has signaled its intention to track developments. Sources familiar with the tournament's arrangements told The Athletic that the member association of the FIFA Series host nation, in this instance New Zealand, bears responsibility for organizing and operating the event, including security and safety protocols.
FIFA maintains a reporting system for potential instances of misconduct, though any conclusions are decided by the appropriate local law enforcement agency.
Cape Verde ranks among the smaller nations in World Cup history. It represents only the second-smallest nation by population to qualify, behind fellow first-time qualifiers Curacao, who will also compete at this summer's tournament.
Cape Verde will take on Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in the group stage when the World Cup kicks off on June 11, with the final set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium.
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