The 2026 FIFA World Cup is in full swing, and the tournament already had an unexpected thrilling tale in its first week. Cape Verde entered Monday’s matchup against Spain as massive 28-1 underdogs.
Cape Verde, a town of 70,000, was ranked 64th in the world by FIFA. Spain ranked third overall before the tournament.
While Spain had over 70% possession of the ball throughout the match, the juggernaut was unable to score against Cape Verde. The match ended in a 0-0 tie at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The unlikely result could greatly be attributed to Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha. The 40-year-old recorded seven saves and faced 27 shots.
Vozinha’s performance earned him a huge boost in Instagram followers. He now has more IG followers than all active MLB and NHL players as well as all but one NFL player.
Vozinha currently has 12.6 million followers on Instagram. At the start of Monday’s opener, the Cape Verde goalkeeper had fewer than 60,000.
The now-revered soccer veteran has surpassed Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani (10.7 million) and Lakers superstar Luka Doncic (10.8 million) on the social media app. Ohtani and Doncic are global sports icons, but the World Cup’s influence and popularity is evident with Vozinha’s jump in followers.
Cape Verde has taken full advantage of its first World Cup by tying Spain in its Group H opener. Vozinha has spent the last two years competing in Portugal’s second division with Grupo Desportivo de Chaves but hasn’t been a permanent member of the team.
Vozinha, however, shined when the lights were brightest and gave Cape Verde fans a World Cup performance that will be remembered for years.
When is Cape Verde’s next World Cup game?
Cape Verde is set to face Uruguay at 3 p.m. PT Sunday. Viewers can watch Vozinha and the squad on FS1 and Telemundo. The game can also be streamed via YouTube TV (subscription).
Every team in Group H, which includes Spain, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Cape Verde, has one point in the tournament.