Vozinha: The Inspiring Story of a 40-Year-Old Cape Verdean Football Hero

Vozinha became the second-oldest World Cup debutant, aged 40. He was already a legend in Cape Verde, it's just that most of the world outside of the island didn't know it yet.

No praise would be too high for any of the players who achieved the 2026 World Cup's most unlikely result so far.

The hero of the 0-0 draw against Spain was Josimar Jose Evora Dias, better known as Vozinha, the team's vice-captain and veteran goalkeeper.

He turned 40 a couple of weeks before the start of the tournament, which means he is the second-oldest man to make his debut at a World Cup, and the oldest to appear for a team playing for the first time.

He was man of the match, making seven crucial saves, but perhaps just as important was his stability and calmness, the slightly indefinable qualities that make a leader.

At full time, he burst into tears. His eyes still looked red and misty when he was enveloped in a huge hug by Stopira, the other grand old man of Cape Verdean football, who retired last year but was persuaded to return because of his emotional influence on the squad.

Vozinha's family not only shaped his life from an early age, but they continue to do so through his name. Well, actually: names.

His birth name was chosen by his father as a tribute to Josimar, the Brazilian right-back who came from nowhere to dazzle at the 1986 World Cup.

And his nickname comes from the people with whom he lived for much of his childhood, his grandparents. In Creole, 'Vozinha' means 'Granny', and he explained to FIFA.com in 2024 how he became known by that name.

Vozinha didn't turn professional until his mid-20s, leaving home to play for Angolan side Progresso. From there he had spells in Cyprus, Slovakia, Moldova and Portugal, which is where he now plays, for second-tier side Chaves.

He made his international debut in 2012, and the only player with more caps for Cape Verde is Mendes, and those two are also the only players to appear in all of the major tournaments they have qualified for: four Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), and now the World Cup.

Vozinha will now have to deal with the same thing many people who are thrust into the limelight do: fame.

But for now, he and his team-mates will just enjoy their slice of glory.

'We work in life to have moments like this,' Vozinha said after the game. 'I am 40 now but I was not a professional until I was 25. This is a reward for all this journey.'