The Libya national football team officially exited the race to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a thrilling 3-3 draw with Cape Verde in the match held on Wednesday evening at the 11 June Stadium, as part of the ninth round of the African qualifiers.

Despite the strong performance and great determination shown by the “Knights of the Mediterranean,” defensive mistakes cost the team two valuable points that could have revived their hopes of competing for a qualification spot.

With this result, Libya raised its points tally to 15, placing third and officially losing the chance to qualify, while Cape Verde maintained the top spot in the group with 20 points, followed by Cameroon with 18 points, Angola (11), Mauritius (5), and Eswatini (3).

An unfortunate end to an impressive campaign in which the Libyan team displayed heroic performance and high fighting spirit, leaving the qualifiers with their heads held high after competing with the top teams until the final moments.