One of the most shocking results of the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far has been the 0-0 draw between tournament favorites Spain and island nation Cape Verde.
With roughly 500,000 citizens, Cape Verde is one of the least populated countries to ever compete at the World Cup, but that didn’t stop them from going toe-to-toe with one of the sport’s biggest superpowers.
Spain came into the 2026 tournament with a top-three FIFA ranking and dreams of bringing another trophy back to the Iberian Peninsula, but their quest for a world title got off to an inauspicious start.
A big reason for Cape Verde’s jaw-dropping performance is none other than the lights-out goalkeeping of 40-year-old Vozinha (full name Josimar José Évora Dias).
Vozinha became the oldest player to compete in a nation’s first World Cup match, but he did a lot more than just sit idly by and watch his team grind out a draw in group play.
The Spaniards threw the kitchen sink at him, sending 27 shots his way and forcing the goalkeeper to make seven crucial saves to keep a clean sheet and help Cape Verde earn a point.
For his efforts, Vozinha was rewarded with almost overnight superstardom, with his Instagram followers increasing by over 5.5 million in less than 24 hours after the match.
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As of writing, his follower count has crossed the nine million mark, surpassing the likes of Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes.
Unlike his newfound social media fame, however, Vozinha’s success story didn’t happen overnight.
The 6-foot-2 goalkeeper has been plying his craft professionally for nearly two decades, having bounced around to nine different club teams in the process.
He’s made 91 appearances for the Cape Verde national team since 2012, but Monday’s performance, on the world’s biggest stage, proved that Vozinha may have been saving his best for when the lights are brightest.
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With Uruguay and Saudi Arabia playing to a 1-1 draw later in the evening, every team in Group H is even at a point apiece through the first match day, meaning everything is still in front of the tiny African nation.
The prospect of Cape Verde advancing to the knockout stages is a mind-boggling one, especially with another match against a big-time soccer nation like Uruguay looming on the docket, but if their game against Spain proved anything, it’s that they aren’t backing down against anyone.
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It helps to have a guy like Vozinha in net, too.
If he can replicate his performance against La Roja, anything is possible.
