Cape Verde and Finland will draw the curtain on their respective FIFA Series group-stage campaigns with a meeting at Eden Park on Monday.
Both teams had contrasting fortunes in their opening fixtures, as Cape Verde fell to a 4-2 defeat against Chile, while Finland ran out routine 2-0 winners against tournament hosts New Zealand.
In addition to our Cape Verde vs Finland prediction below, check out the rest of today's betting tips.
Contents
Cape Verde vs Finland key stats
- Cape Verde are on a three-game winless streak and have won just one of their last five matches (D2, L2).
- Finland, meanwhile, boast consecutive victories heading into Monday's matchup.
- The Eagle-Owls have also kept back-to-back clean sheets after conceding first in five straight outings prior.
Cape Verde vs Finland preview: Another spring in the step for Finland
| Cape Verde | vs | Finland |
|---|---|---|
| 67th | FIFA ranking | 75th |
| Ryan Mendes (93) | Most caps | Lukas Hradecky (102) |
| Ryan Mendes (22) | Most goals | Joel Pohjanpalo (19) |
| 573 | Total caps | 410 |
| 53 | Total goals | 31 |
| 5 | Uncapped players | 0 |
One of four already confirmed World Cup debutants at the 2026 edition, Cape Verde are enduring a rough patch ahead of their maiden appearance at football's biggest event.
Since a 3-0 demolition of Eswatini, Bubista's men have been beaten by Iran and, most recently, Chile, either side of a 1-1 draw against Egypt.
Cape Verde's Sidny Lopes Cabral has recorded 15 direct goal contributions for club and country this season.
Before that, the Blue Sharks were on a nine-game unbeaten run (W7, D2), forming the basis of a stellar qualifying campaign, and they finished top of their group with 23 points from 10 matches.
Cape Verde last went four matches without a win between October and November 2024, one of the most trying spells of Bubista's six-year reign so far.
While the 56-year-old will undoubtedly be disappointed to have seen his side throw away a 2-1 lead last time out, Dailon Livramento's stellar display was a huge positive. The 24-year-old bagged one goal and an assist to make it three direct goal contributions in his last three international outings.
After finishing third in Group G of the European qualifiers, seven and 10 points behind Poland and the Netherlands respectively, Finland's wait for their first-ever World Cup finals lingers on.
Jaakko Oksanen opened his Finland account in what was only a second international appearance and a first since January 2023.
Jacob Friis's men started their qualifying journey on a decent note, recording seven points from the first 12 available, but a dismal run of three defeats from their final four matches proved to be their undoing.
However, the Fennoscandians appear to have moved on from their World Cup disappointment, winning their last two encounters against Andorra and New Zealand by a combined score of 6-0 since their final qualifier against Malta.
Led by the in-form Joel Pohjanpalo, who has netted 22 times for club and country this season, Finland will now seek to win three matches on the bounce for the first time in over two-and-a-half years.
Cape Verde vs Finland form guide & betting tips
| Cape Verde | vs | Finland |
|---|---|---|
| D-W-L-D-L | Form | W-L-L-W-W |
| 9 | Goals For | 8 |
| 8 | Goals Against | 6 |
Whispers predicts: Cape Verde 1-2 Finland
Given their form heading into Monday's contest, Finland are slight favourites, and we fancy them to come out on top at 2.45.
Still, Cape Verde should find the back of the net, having scored in 11 of their last 12 outings, so a punt on both teams to score at 1.83 represents good value.
Combining the above tips, backing Finland to win and BTTS - Yes at 5.50 is also a strong proposition.
> 1x2 - Finland to win at 2.45 | Likelihood: Probable
> BTTS - Yes at 1.83 | Likelihood: Probable
> 1x2 & BTTS - Finland to win & Yes at 5.50 | Likelihood: Outsider