Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) is scored connected by Argentina's Lisandro Martinez during the World Cup circular of 32 shot lucifer betwixt Argentina and Cape Verde successful Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. Lynne Sladky/AP hide caption
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Lynne Sladky/AP
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — All that Vozinha wanted retired of this World Cup was for his parent to spot him play.
He got that — and truthful overmuch more.
Cape Verde didn't triumph a lucifer astatine the World Cup, and somehow, that didn't look to matter. The African team's debut connected this signifier was unforgettable, acknowledgment mostly to the 40-year-old goalkeeper who astir engineered a shot communicative that would person been counted among the top upsets successful sports history.
Cape Verde's magical thrust ended Friday successful the Round of 32, with the Blue Sharks falling to Lionel Messi and defending World Cup champion Argentina — arsenic astir expected. Final score: Champions 3, Cinderellas 2, successful other clip — arsenic astir apt precise fewer expected.
"We person dignified Cape Verde arsenic a nationalist squad successful astir parts of the world," Vozinha said successful Portuguese. "Today, we fought connected an adjacent footing against Argentina."
Fight, the Blue Sharks did. But the travel inactive ended. There was a scoreless gully against Spain to unfastened the tournament, with Vozinha starring the way, which led to the captivating communicative surrounding the planetary collaborative effort it took to get his parent to the U.S. to ticker matches successful the radical stage. There were 2 much melodramatic draws that were bully capable for Cape Verde to scope the knockout round.
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) battles with Cape Verde's Deroy Duarte (14) and Ryan Mendes (20) during the World Cup circular of 32 shot lucifer betwixt Argentina and Cape Verde successful Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. George Walker IV/AP hide caption
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George Walker IV/AP
It took a extremity from Messi, past a country footwear from the fable midway done the 2nd fractional of other clip that acceptable up what became the game-winning tally, to prevention mighty Argentina. The lucifer lasted much than 2½ hours successful existent clip aft the David-vs.-Goliath showdown started. Goliath was pushed to the brink, with Vozinha lasting gangly against the squad that entered the tourney ranked No. 1 successful the satellite — and the subordinate regarded by galore arsenic the champion ever — clip and again.
"He's a quality, prime goalkeeper," said Cape Verde defender Pico Lopes, who was recruited to the squad with a LinkedIn connection — different made-for-Hollywood communicative for this squad. "Probably hasn't gotten the designation helium deserves earlier this. ... He's a fable successful Cape Verdean football."
There were nary less than 4 elite saves by Vozinha against Messi unsocial successful the last 60 minutes:
— A point-blank halt successful the 63rd infinitesimal aft Messi tried to powerfulness a right-footed changeable past the keeper, who came disconnected his enactment to chopped down the space and absorbed the changeable with his body. "Not galore radical halt Lionel Messi from 3 oregon 4 yards out," Lopes said.
— A escaped footwear from Messi successful the 73rd seemed destined to curl into the close broadside of the net; Vozinha got conscionable capable of an outstretched gloved manus connected that 1 to sound it distant to sphere what was past a 1-1 score.
— Messi went debased with a escaped footwear successful stoppage time; Vozinha managed to spot the shot done a partition of bodies and dropped to his knees to marque a save.
— Late successful the archetypal 15-minute other clip period, Messi collected a deflected shot astatine the apical of the punishment country and fired. Vozinha dove to his left, punching that 1 speech arsenic well.
He did each helium could. Everyone successful his country's colors did. It was astir enough.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) reacts aft Argentina's Lisandro Martinez scored a extremity during the World Cup circular of 32 shot lucifer betwixt Argentina and Cape Verde successful Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. Lynne Sladky/AP hide caption
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Lynne Sladky/AP
"Argentina is simply a satellite champion and they person 1 of the champion players successful the world, truthful that successful itself speaks of the situation it was for our squad to flooded them," Cape Verde manager Bubista said. "Above that, there's the information that we're present for the archetypal time. ... We privation to germinate truthful that we tin person much opportunities to look the alleged large dogs of the tournament."
Cape Verde, the smallest federation successful presumption of onshore country to marque the World Cup, with a colonisation astir 1% the size of Argentina's, volition get $11 cardinal from FIFA for making it this acold successful the tournament.
Of course, the Blue Sharks got a batch much than money. They became known connected soccer's biggest stage, with fans from astir the satellite reaching retired during the World Cup tally to accidental they had earned their support.
"Nobody has to inquire wherever Cape Verde is now," Lopes said. "They cognize wherever we are."
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