Vozinha was one of the standout performers in the FIFA 2026 World Cup , and now the Cape Verde's goalkeeper has been recognized by having a newly discovered species name in his honor. A new species of marine mollusk has been named after the 40-year-old, by Spanish marine biologist and zoologist Professor Emeritus Dr. Jesus Ortea at University of Oviedo in his published work Historias de la Bioadversidad (translated in English as Biodiversity Stories). Ortea made the discovery of the new species - a small sea sling of red appearance and about four millimeters that was, until his published work, unknown by science - and has named it Aldisa vozinha (in English Vozinha's sea slug). The species was discovered in Caribbean near Havana, Cuba and the cool island of Guadeloupe during Ortea's research and his work was published to coincide with the World Cup including Vozinha's man of the match performance in Cape Verde's huge surprise 0-0 opening draw against European champions Spain as he made seven crucial saves. (https://www.researchgate.net>Jesus Angel Ortea Rato Phd. Biologia Animal y Zoologia - University of Oviedo)
Ortea underlined the choice of Vozinha's name was his way of thanking the people of Cape Verde, a nation where he was awarded the Medal of Environmental Merit in 2023, which was recognized of his contribution to the study of Marine Biodiversity on the archipelago. Vozinha, whose two-decade career has included spells at club teams in Cape Verde, Moldova, Slovakia, Cyprus & Portugal, became the oldest player to make an appearance in a nation's debut World Cup game at the age of 40 years old. The 91-time Cape Verde international has gained significant traction in World Cup. Evidently, his Instagram account before the match had 50,000 followers but, at the time of his excellent performance in the tournament, it has grown to 28.5 million. (@vozinha1>Instagram.com)
As an avid football fan, Professor Ortea timed the scientific announcement to coincide with the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He chose the name to honor Vozinha's legendary clean-sheet performance against Spain and his heroic efforts throughout Cape Verde's historic tournament run.
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