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Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha enjoyed the greatest day of his sporting career on Monday, making seven saves and claiming man of the match honors after the Blue Sharks' historic 0-0 draw against Spain. Due to the United States' visa policy, his mother wasn't able to watch him shine.
The 40-year-old netminder — real name Josimar Jose Evora Dias — was visibly emotional after the final whistle blew. He put forth one of the greatest showings in recent World Cup history, producing a handful of acrobatic saves in the contest, Cape Verde's first in World Cup history.
Following the game, Vozinha spoke to reporters, expressing pride for his team and his nation, which houses a little more than 500,000. Vozinha also explained the reason why his mother was unable to attend the match.
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U.S. visa issues to blame for mom missing out on World Cup match, says Vozinha
Clutching his man of the match prize while speaking with a gaggle of reporters postgame, Vozinha praised his teammates and home nation, explaining that the players felt motivated to put forth a dazzling display for their homeland, which warded off Portuguese colonialism before declaring independence in 1975.
🌎🇨🇻 OFFICIAL: Vozinha wins FIFA Man of the Match Award for Spain-Cape Verde. 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/tIGNhmXXMn
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 15, 2026“This is a message of thank you to everybody in Cap Verde,” Vozinha said, per The Athletic. “We are very happy after this, this group of players have worked a lot to live this moment. It’s a day to be proud and satisfied."
He also offered insight into his emotional reaction to the result.
MORE: How Cape Verde compares to Spain in FIFA rankings, population size and more
“I cried after the game because I grew up with my grandparents when I was a kid, and they could not be there," Vozinha said. "They passed away a few years ago. My mum could not be here either for a visa issue, and the money we had to pay for it. We did not manage to do this in time.”
The hulking shot-stopper, who currently plies his trade in Portugal second division side Chaves, had to wait until the age of 25 to get into professional soccer. His accolade proved a worthy memento after a lifetime of work for the Mindelo-born goalkeeper.
“I would tell 18-year-old Vozinha to be really proud of himself. He worked a lot," Vozinha said. "To be honest I never dreamt of stuff like this when I was a kid, but after this game I can tell my younger version that it was all worth it.”
MORE: Smallest countries in the 2026 World Cup
His story clearly resonated to masses of onlookers. Vozinha boasted of about 50,000 Instagram followers ahead of the Spain match. After, his follower count sits at 1.5 million and rising.
— B24 (@B24PT) June 15, 2026Vozinha stats vs. Spain
| Stat | Total |
| Saves | 7 |
| Goals prevented | 1.46 |
| High claims | 3 |
| Ball recoveries | 15 |
| Passes completed/attempted | 29/42 (69%) |
In a game filled with starlight, Vozinha was, by far, the best player on the pitch on Monday. He led the way for Cape Verde from the back, turning seven shots aside. A handful of those stops were acrobatic, with Vozinha proving adept at making highlight reel stops when needed.
🇨🇻 Cape Verde's 40 years old goalkeeper, VOZINHA against Spain.🔥👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/ruZO8Dx4J0
— Georgia✿ (@minwooshi8) June 15, 2026Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams' introductions into the contest did little to blight the veteran goalkeeper's shine. Cape Verde is officially on the board in a World Cup. No player made a bigger contribution to that result than Vozinha.
Vozinha was in tears after his heroic performance earned a clean sheet and Cabo Verde's first-ever World Cup point 🥺 pic.twitter.com/1W7urCuAKQ
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 15, 2026MORE: Everything to know about Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha who starred vs. Spain
Vozinha age
Vozinha is 40 years old. He celebrated his 40th birthday on June 3. Per Opta, he is the oldest player to make an appearance in a nation's debut World Cup match, breaking the record set on Sunday by Curacao's Eloy Room (37 years, 182 days old). Only one player, Egypt's Essam El Hadary (45 years, 161 days old) was older when making his World Cup debut than Vozinha.
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