Vozinha Creates History, Becomes Oldest Player In FIFA World Cup History To...

Last Updated:June 16, 2026, 10:37 IST

Vozinha was the star of the show as Cape Verde put out a superb display on World Cup debut and held former champions Spain to a goalless draw.

In what was expected to be a cakewalk for Spain, the European champions were in for a rude surprise as FIFA World Cup debutant Cape Verde produced a display of a lifetime with their 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha at the center of it. The tiny island nation held former world champions Spain to a goalless draw at the packed Atlanta Stadium on Monday.

Vozinha pulled off a series of impressive saves – 7 in total – to keep Spain frustrated and send thousands of Cape Verde fans, who kept cheering their team throughout the 90 minutes, into delirium.

In doing so, Vozinha became part of FIFA World Cup history. He’s now the oldest goalkeeper in the tournament’s rich history to keep a cleansheet on debut.

And slowly, once the full-time whistle went out, the veteran broke into tears while coming to terms with what his team had just achieved.

“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents," said Vozinha, who won player of the match award. “Unfortunately, they were not here. They died a few years before. They were everything for me, everything for my life."

“And also because of my mum. She didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money you have to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage on time. I would like her to be here," he added.

Vozinha also cleared doubts, if there were any after Monday’s performance, that Cape Verde aren’t at the tournament to enjoy: they are here to compete.

“Our best weapon is our unity. Regardless of the player who arrives today, or the player who is 10 or 15 years old, the way we treat our family is our greatest strength. Everyone thought that we came here just to enjoy the World Cup, but no, we know that we have teams that we will always respect, because this is our first time, but we are here to compete, and we are here to fight for our country," he said.

About the Author

Feroz Khan

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience ...Read More

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