Cape Verde, a volcanic archipelago of roughly 600,000 people off the west coast of Africa, just walked into its first World Cup match and told the reigning European champions to take a seat.
The island nation held Spain to a 0-0 draw on June 15 in Atlanta, Georgia, producing what is widely being called the first major upset of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was also the tournament’s first goalless draw.
Vozinha turns back the clock and everything Spain threw at him
The story of this match has a name, and that name is Vozinha. The Cape Verde goalkeeper is 40 years old. Vozinha made four crucial saves in the first half alone. Spain dominated possession and created chance after chance. They had the ball. They had the territory. They had everything except the one thing that actually matters: a goal.
The smallest nation on the biggest stage
