Cabo Verde’s Goalkeeper Made A Stunning Seven Saves Against Spain In Its World Cup Debut And Broke Down
The man who kept them out was 40-year-old Josimar Jose Evora Dias, also known as Vozinha, who blocked seven shots and was named man of the match.
Cabo Verde’s goalkeeper has become one of the biggest breakout stars at the 2026 World Cup thus far, making seven saves for the team to draw against Spain in its first-ever World Cup match before breaking down into tears in an emotional moment off the pitch.
On Monday, June 15, Cabo Verde, also known as Cape Verde, made its first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup, facing Spain, one of the top-tier contenders, in its opening group stage match.
Spain went into the match as heavy favorites, with analysts giving them an 87.2% chance of winning, according to Yahoo Sports.
The match, however, ended in a 0-0 draw, despite Spain’s dominating possession and making nearly 27 attempts to score.
The man who kept them out was 40-year-old Josimar Jose Evora Dias, also known as Vozinha, who blocked seven shots and was named man of the match.
Vozinha, who started his professional career at 25, became the second-oldest player to debut at the World Cup and said he had thought about giving up on his dream but kept going.
He cried after the match, saying he wished his grandparents, who died years before, could have been there to see it.
“This is for everyone. I was named man of the match but this is for all of my teammates because without them nothing would be possible. I will continue to work for Cabo Verde and for the people,” he said.
One of the most important people in his life, his mother, also missed the match.
“My mum didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money we had to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage to [get it done] on time,” he said during an interview post-match.
The Trump administration introduced a refundable bond of up to US$15,000 as a requirement for visa applicants in some countries in its latest attempt to curb immigration and prevent people from overstaying their visas.
Vozinha's performance and heart-wrenching story moved millions around the world, with his Instagram followers jumping from 50,000 to 8.5 million in a day.
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