Cape Verde's goalkeeper Vozinha celebrates with his national flag at the end of their 2026 Fifa World Cup match against Spain.
ATLANTA - The man who stymied powerhouse Spain at the World Cup here Monday walked onto the pitch as a 40-year-old journeyman, two weeks away from the expiration of his contract at a second-tier Portuguese club.
Josimar Dias - best known by his nickname, “Vozinha” - and his Cape Verde teammates were monumental underdogs against the Spaniards. As goalkeeper, Vozinha was to be Cape Verde’s last line of defence in a game Spain was widely expected to dominate. And Spain did dominate, analytically and tangibly. But it didn’t appear to matter to Vozinha.
He made seven saves as Spain racked up 2.29 expected goals against Cape Verde’s mere 0.28. Spain held 74% of the possession and completed 92% of their passes, and it still wasn’t enough to break through Cape Verde’s defensive wall.
For Spain, among the favorites to battle for the World Cup title, the 0-0 draw was a bitter disappointment. For Vozinha and Cape Verde, the third-smallest country to ever compete in the World Cup, it was an unbelievable triumph.
