Cape Verde vs. Argentina: ‘One of the Great Goals in World Cup History’

They came from a chain of islands off the coast of West Africa. A nation of just 500,000 people, ranked 67th in the world, according to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association. They had never played at a World Cup before. And they nearly beat the champions of the world.Argentina — 64 million people, ranked No. 1 in FIFA, winners of the 2022 World Cup — needed extra time, a moment of Lionel Messi magic, and every ounce of their champion’s DNA to survive Cape Verde’s fairytale run at the 2026 World Cup. The final score: 3-2. But the numbers barely tell the story.At the center of it all stood Josimar José Évora Dias — known simply as Vozinha. A 40-year-old goalkeeper who was a free agent before the tournament. A man who, just weeks ago, had 50,000 Instagram followers. A man who, before the match, said all he wanted was for his mother to see him play.He got that. And so much more.From the opening whistle, Vozinha was extraordinary. He made a crucial early stop on a Messi shot to keep Cape Verde in the match, then a point-blank block in the 63rd minute after Mr. Messi tried to power a shot past him. “Not many people stop Lionel Messi from three or four yards out,” Cape Verde defender Pico Lopes said after the game.In the 72nd minute, he turned away another Messi effort. The game went to extra time. Early in the extended period, Lisandro Martinez whizzed one past Vozinha to put Argentina up 2-1. Just a few minutes later — the 96th minute — Vonzinha dropped to his knees to smother a Messi free kick. Then, at 1:02 into the additional period, Sydney Cabral of Cape Verde did his best David Beckham impression and bent one into the top right corner of the goal..BBC commentator Ian Dennis captured the moment perfectly: “Sydney Cabral comes on the inside! Oh my word! Oh my word! Sydney Cabral with one of the great goals of this World Cup! Right-footed, curling, to the right-hand corner! He’s being mobbed by his teammates! It’s astonishing! I can hardly believe what I’m witnessing, because Cape Verde has stunned Argentina for a second time with one of the great goals in World Cup history!”The Blue Sharks had pushed the world champions to the absolute brink. But it couldn’t last. With a perfect corner kick — yes, from Mr. Messi — Cristian Romero of Argentina headed the ball into Cape Verde’s Diney Borges and it caromed into the goal. In the end, Argentina didn’t even really win the game, as the final shot was deemed an “own goal.”“I went up to Messi after the game,” Vozinha said, according to NDTV. “He hugged me and said, ‘You are great. Your people should be proud of you.’ That was incredible for me. Hearing words like that from someone like Leo Messi means a lot to me. I thanked him and said, ‘Thank you, Leo. You are the best,’ Vozinha added.Cape Verde exits the tournament with their heads held high. More than 20 million people followed Vozinha on Instagram during the game, and he established a lasting legacy as a man who stood between the greatest player in the world and glory, again and again, in one of the greatest World Cup matches ever played.“Nobody has to ask where Cape Verde is now,” Mr. Lopes said. “They know where we are.”

Cape Verde vs. Argentina: ‘One of the Great Goals in World Cup History’

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