Cape Verde keeper Vuzinha becomes World Cup sensation after stunning Spain

Cape Verde produced one of the biggest shocks of the opening of the 2026 World Cup, holding European champion Spain to a 0-0 draw in their tournament debut. The man at the center of the upset was veteran goalkeeper Vuzinha, whose standout performance made him one of the most talked-about figures in world football within hours.

Spain dominated much of the match and created numerous chances, but the 40-year-old repeatedly denied them and secured a historic point for Cape Verde in its first World Cup appearance. His saves kept one of the tournament favorites off the scoreboard and turned the result into a landmark moment for the African team.

The attention quickly spilled onto social media. During the match, commentators in Brazil urged viewers to follow his Instagram account, which at that point had only a few thousand followers. By the end of the game, he had approached 400,000 followers, and within hours after the final whistle he crossed 1 million.

Vuzinha is the nickname of Josimar Jose Ebora Dias, who currently plays in Portugal's second division. He has played for clubs in Africa and Europe, but had never before received this level of international attention. After making his Cape Verde debut in 2012, he has collected dozens of caps and appeared in several Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. For Cape Verde, the draw was a dream start; for Vuzinha, it was the defining moment of a long career.