The draw nobody saw coming

The world of football has just witnessed something truly historic.

In the opening match for both teams at the 2026 World Cup, Spain – currently second in the FIFA rankings – drew 0–0 with debutants Cape Verde, ranked just 67th.

And that was just one of the statistics that made the match seem extremely one-sided before kick-off.

Cape Verde, the third-smallest country to compete in a World Cup, is an African archipelago that has been independent since 1975 and one of the continent’s least populous nations, with just over 520,000 inhabitants. Spain, on the other hand, has a population of nearly 50 million.

In football, the difference is also huge. Spain boasts one of the strongest and richest leagues on the planet, with clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona; it has competed in 17 World Cups and won the title in 2010. This is its 13th consecutive appearance in the tournament.

The road to football’s biggest stage

The Cape Verdean Football Federation (FCF) was only established in 1982 and did not join FIFA until four years later, in 1986.

The national team’s progress has been gradual. Their first match against a team from outside Africa did not take place until 2002, and their debut in the Africa Cup of Nations came only in 2013.

Now, Cape Verde are competing in their first World Cup – and have already secured a draw against a world champion.

The achievement carries even greater weight when one considers the current state of the Spanish side. The current generation is a far cry from the powerhouse of the past: the national team won the UEFA Nations League in 2023 and the European Championship in 2024.

Tipped by many as one of the hot favourites for the title, Spain boasts players nominated for the Ballon d’Or, such as Pedri, Fabián Ruiz and Lamine Yamal, as well as Rodri, winner of the award in 2024.

Cape Verde lacks the same star power or the same number of players competing at the top level of European football. In fact, only one player in the squad – Villarreal defender Logan Costa – plays in one of Europe’s so-called ‘Big Five Leagues’.

And he wasn’t even on the pitch today, as he is still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained last season.

Vozinha: the Cape Verdean wall

The standout player of the match was, without a doubt, goalkeeper Vozinha.

Born Josimar José Évora Dias, the 40-year-old veteran has made 89 appearances for the Cape Verde national team – the second-highest tally in the country’s history.

The name comes from former Botafogo player Josimar, who played for Brazil at the 1986 World Cup. The nickname ‘Vozinha’, however, emerged during his time playing in Angola and stems from the special bond he formed with his grandparents. As he himself explained: “The nickname comes from my grandparents. I never lived with my parents. When I was born, my father was doing his military service and my mother needed to work, so I ended up being brought up by my grandparents. In the neighbourhood where I lived, the other boys were older, and I spent the day playing football in the street, getting knocked about a lot. I was good with my feet, competitive, a bit of a rebel and hated losing. I used to get beaten up a lot, and when I couldn’t get my own back, I’d go home angry, with a long face. Then everyone would start making fun of me, saying I was off to tell my grandparents.” (Itatiaia)

As well as Angola, Vozinha played for clubs in Moldova, Portugal and Cyprus. The most memorable moments of his career came during a spell at Gil Vicente and, above all, during the five years he spent playing for AEL Limassol.

Now at Chaves, in the Portuguese second division, he came very close to ending his international career after the painful elimination by South Africa on penalties at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

In the dressing room, he even decided that this would be his final spell wearing the Cape Verde shirt. But his teammates wouldn’t let him: “After the elimination by South Africa on penalties at the Africa Cup of Nations, I had a moment in the dressing room when I seriously considered saying goodbye to the national team. A lot of people don’t know this, but I didn’t want to carry on. It was my teammates – Ryan Mendes, Logan and practically the whole squad – who made me realise that I was still important to the team, whether I was playing or not. That always depends on the manager’s decisions. At that moment, we made a pact amongst ourselves. We felt there was still something big to achieve together.” (GE)

Convinced by the group, Vozinha carried on. Almost 15 years after his debut for the national team, he reached the first World Cup in the country’s history, surrounded by the same teammates who helped him overcome that difficult moment.

It is no coincidence that Cape Verde fielded the oldest starting line-up of the tournament so far today – a team built around experience, unity and mutual trust.

The decision to continue wearing the Blue Sharks’ shirt ended up being rewarded in the best possible way. Against one of the most talented teams on the planet, Vozinha put in the performance of his life and was instrumental in holding Spain at bay for the full 90 minutes.

The underdogs’ stats

The reigning European champions had 27 shots, hitting the target on seven occasions, but were unable to get past Vozinha.

The Cape Verdean goalkeeper put in a memorable performance, making crucial saves against Mikel Oyarzabal, Aymeric Laporte and Ferran Torres throughout the 90 minutes.

Spain tried everything and controlled much of the match.

They finished with 74% possession, compared to Cape Verde’s 26%. They had 11 corners, whilst their opponents had just one. In attack, they completed 606 passes, compared to just 29 by the African side.

The figures show almost total dominance.

But, time and again, Spain came up against Vozinha.

A star is born at the World Cup

The goalkeeper’s saves quickly won over fans around the world. During the match broadcast on CazéTV, Brazilians were encouraged to follow the Cape Verdean number 1 on social media. By the end of the match, his follower count had jumped from around 50,000 to over 1.7 million.

In a post-match interview, Vozinha thanked Brazil for their support: “This is mad, this is mad. Thank you so much. The Brazilians have always shown us so much affection, and we already felt that during the World Cup qualifiers. Now we’re here, on the biggest stage in world football, and we’re still receiving all this support and energy. We just have to say thank you!” (CNN Brasil)

Whilst Vozinha celebrated an unforgettable night, Spanish frustration was evident at various points during the match. Even so, Cape Verde finished with just one foul committed, compared to Spain’s ten.

The Blue Sharks still had the chance to turn the draw into a win in the final minutes, but defender Diney Borges’s header was saved by Unai Simón.

The result will go down in history as one of the biggest upsets ever seen at a World Cup.

What lies ahead?

Of course, it is still too early to draw conclusions about Spain’s future in the tournament. A slip-up in the opening match does not determine anyone’s fate. At the 2022 World Cup, for example, Argentina went on to win the title even after losing to Saudi Arabia in their first game.

A Spanish comeback remains a very real possibility.

But from a Cape Verdean perspective, the draw feels like a victory. It is the reward for years of hard work, as well as a demonstration of the talent, organisation and determination of a squad competing in its first World Cup.

Now, the matches against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia will be decisive in determining how far this historic campaign can go.

Whatever happens in the coming weeks, tonight’s performance – and, above all, Vozinha’s extraordinary display – has already secured a permanent place in the history of Cape Verdean football and the World Cup.

After the final whistle, the goalkeeper summed up the moment in simple terms: “I’ve dreamed of this moment all my life. I’ve worked all my life for this moment. Today I managed to be here. I managed to contribute to the team through my experience and I’m very happy about that.” (Itatiaia)