Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha broke down in tears after helping his country make World Cup history against Spain, with his mother unable to attend the match due to visa problems.
The 40-year-old was the standout figure in Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw with Spain in Atlanta on Monday, June 15, as the World Cup debutants claimed a remarkable first point on the biggest stage.
Vozinha was named player of the match after a performance that has already become one of the early stories of the tournament.
Vozinha explains why he cried after Cape Verde stunned Spain
The emotion came quickly after full-time, and Vozinha later explained that the moment had brought back thoughts of the grandparents who raised him.
He said he cried because they had died before they could see him reach the World Cup, adding that they were everything to him.
The Cape Verde goalkeeper also said his mother had not managed to travel to the United States because of a visa issue and the money involved.
That turned a brilliant sporting moment into a much wider human story, because Cape Verde’s first World Cup result came without one of the most important people in Vozinha’s life inside the stadium.
Hakeem Jeffries asks Marco Rubio to help before Uruguay match
The story has now moved beyond football, with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries publicly asking Secretary of State Marco Rubio to help Vozinha’s mother attend Cape Verde’s next game.
Jeffries wrote on X: “The Cabo Verde national football team shocked Spain on the strength of a historic performance by goalkeeper Vozinha. His Mom was unable to be there because of visa complications. No mother should miss the chance to see her child make history.
“I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to do everything in his power to ensure that she can attend Cabo Verde’s next match on Sunday.”
The intervention shows how quickly Vozinha’s story has travelled since the final whistle in Atlanta.
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