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

Published 16 June 2026 · sports

Vozinha Creates History, Becomes Oldest Player In FIFA World Cup History To... Published By, Last Updated: June 16, 2026, 10:37 IST Vozinha was the star

Vozinha Creates History, Becomes Oldest Player In FIFA World Cup History To... Published By, 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. Rapid Read Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha waves a flag for fans after a 0-0 draw with Spain. (AP Photo) What was expected to be a straightforward outing for Spain turned into a memorable night for FIFA World Cup debutants Cape Verde. Led by their 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, the tiny island nation produced the performance of a lifetime to hold the current European champions and former world champions to a goalless draw at a packed Atlanta Stadium on Monday. Vozinha was at the heart of Cape Verde’s historic result, making seven impressive saves to frustrate Spain throughout the 90 minutes.

His heroics sent thousands of Cape Verde fans, who cheered relentlessly from start to finish, into delirium. In the process, Vozinha etched his name into FIFA World Cup history. He became the oldest goalkeeper in the tournament’s history to keep a clean sheet on his World Cup debut. As the final whistle blew, the magnitude of the achievement began to sink in. The veteran goalkeeper broke down in tears while reflecting on what his team had accomplished. “I cried because I grew up with my grandparents," said Vozinha, who was named Player of the Match. “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 made it clear, if there were any doubts left after Monday’s performance, that Cape Verde are not at the World Cup simply to make up the numbers — they are there 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. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit 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.