▲ Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha
The journey of Cabo Verde, an African island nation with a population of 580,000 that emerged as the biggest sensation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has come to an end after running into the wall of defending champion Argentina in the Round of 32.
Cabo Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa, made its first-ever appearance on the World Cup stage at the 2026 tournament in North America.
After defying expectations just by advancing from the group stage, Cabo Verde delivered a stunning performance against the powerhouse Argentina today (July 4, KST), narrowly losing 2-3 after a grueling extra-time battle, leaving a lasting impression on football fans worldwide.
Among the Cabo Verde squad, 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha is set to be remembered as the most memorable player.
Vozinha made 8 saves during the 120-minute battle against Argentina, conceding 3 goals.
In particular, although he conceded an opening goal to Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the 29th minute, he put on a masterclass, stopping 5 of Messi's shots on target throughout the match.
Vozinha recorded a total of 18 saves across his 4 matches in this tournament (7 against Spain, 0 against Uruguay, 3 against Saudi Arabia, and 8 against Argentina).
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) praised Vozinha's heroic performance on social media, stating he "blocked, blocked, and kept blocking."
According to the statistics provider Opta, the only other goalkeepers in their 40s to record more saves in a single World Cup are Peter Shilton of England (28 saves in 7 matches at the 1990 Italy tournament) and Dino Zoff of Italy (27 saves in 5 matches at the 1982 Spain tournament).
Vozinha first captured the attention of fans during the Group H opener against Spain.
While a landslide victory for Spain was expected, Vozinha locked down the goal with desperate saves, leading Cabo Verde to a surprise 0-0 draw.
Having delivered brilliant saves on the World Cup stage for the first time at the age of 40, Vozinha was immediately thrust into the spotlight.
His mother, who had been unable to watch her son's matches due to visa issues in the United States, was finally able to see him play starting from the second group stage match against Uruguay with the help of the U.S. government.
In the second group stage match against another tough opponent, Uruguay (a 2-2 draw), Vozinha did not record any saves, but he made 3 saves in the third match against Saudi Arabia to secure another 0-0 draw, playing a key role in Cabo Verde's advancement to the Round of 32 as the group runner-up.
Cabo Verde's opponent in the Round of 32 was Argentina, the reigning champion filled with star players, including Lionel Messi, who is revered as the "God of Football."
Ahead of this World Cup, Vozinha said in a media interview, "It is my dream to face Messi," and his dream finally came true.
Facing his "dream opponent" Messi, Vozinha put on a fierce defensive display, allowing only 1 goal out of the 6 shots on target attempted by Messi.
Cabo Verde also concluded its first-ever World Cup journey with a beautiful fairy-tale ending of reaching the knockout stage, despite a heartbreaking 2-3 loss after a hard-fought match that went into extra time against the tournament favorite.
After the match, Vozinha emphasized, "The result leaves some regrets," adding, "Today's match was not a duel between Vozinha and Messi, but between Cabo Verde and Argentina, and we gave everything we had to win the game."
He reflected on the experience, saying, "Although we didn't win and the result is sad, I am satisfied and proud of the matches we played and everything we achieved in this World Cup."
"We achieved our dream by passing the African qualifiers," he said. "This was the dream of the people of Cabo Verde, and I take pride in the fact that we competed on equal footing with the best teams in the world on the World Cup stage."
He continued, "I want to congratulate the football association, the coaching staff, and all my teammates," and bid farewell to football fans around the world, saying, "We leave this tournament with our heads held high."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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