Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha relishes challenge of facing Argentina, Messi at World Cup

Cabo Verde's improbable journey to the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup has captured global attention, with the island nation's goalkeeper Vozinha embodying the team's surprise success. The team, representing a population of just over 500,000, has defied expectations in their World Cup debut.

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I think none of us dreamed of this, but we knew we had a lot of quality when we arrived at the World Cup. Perhaps many thought we wouldn't win a single match. But we have a great team and players of immense quality, and we qualified for the next phase; for us, it is very gratifying and playing against Argentina I think will be very good for us.

Vozinha admitted that reaching this stage was beyond the team's initial dreams, but emphasized their unwavering belief in their own quality. "We knew we had a lot of quality when we arrived at the World Cup," he stated. "Perhaps many thought we wouldn't win a single match. But we have a great team and players of immense quality, and we qualified for the next phase; for us, it is very gratifying."

The upcoming match against reigning world champions Argentina and their star Lionel Messi represents the pinnacle of the team's historic run. "It's a dream for any player to play against Argentina and against Lionel Messi," Vozinha said, fulfilling a long-held wish to face the Argentine captain.

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It's a dream for any player to play against Argentina and against Lionel Messi.

He also used the platform to challenge perceptions of Cabo Verdean football. "Maybe many of you think that Cabo Verdean players don't have enough level, but we have come here to show that we have a lot of quality and that we are here to compete," he asserted. "Our players can play anywhere, in major competitions and in the most important leagues."

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Maybe many of you think that Cabo Verdean players don't have enough level, but we have come here to show that we have a lot of quality and that we are here to compete. Our players can play anywhere, in major competitions and in the most important leagues.

Vozinha attributed the team's resilience and success to their national pride and a history of overcoming difficulties. "I think as we love our country, we feel great passion, we grew up facing many difficulties, our grandparents and parents made great sacrifices to give us an education, and that taught us to value things," he explained. "We are small, but we have a big heart and we are fighters."

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I think as we love our country, we feel great passion, we grew up facing many difficulties, our grandparents and parents made great sacrifices to give us an education, and that taught us to value things. Therefore, I think we demonstrated the resilience of our people by showing the passion we feel for our country and we also showed that we are here to represent not only the players but all Cabo Verdeans in the world; we are small, but we have a big heart and we are fighters.