A 40-year-old goalkeeper from Cape Verde held Spain scoreless in his country’s first-ever World Cup match. His mother watched from home because she couldn’t afford the visa bond to enter the United States.
Now the US State Department is working to change that. Following a wave of public attention around Vozinha’s remarkable debut on June 15, 2026, officials announced efforts to assist his mother with her visa application so she can attend Cape Verde’s upcoming matches in the tournament.
The performance that broke the internet
Vozinha, whose full name is Josimar José Évora Dias, turned 40 on June 3. Twelve days later, he walked onto the pitch against Spain and made seven saves to preserve a 0-0 draw. He was named Player of the Match.
That makes him the oldest player to feature in a nation’s inaugural World Cup appearance. Cape Verde, a volcanic archipelago of roughly half a million people off the west coast of Africa, had never qualified for the tournament before this year.
