Spain entered the match as the No. 3-ranked team in FIFA’s world rankings, behind only Argentina. Its roster featured, as the announcers pointed out, players on its bench who would surely start for any other World Cup team, let alone Cape Verde. It featured stars like Lamine Yamal, who play for powerful European clubs and are household names.
Yamal, though, started this game on the bench, as he continues to return from injury. With him sidelined, Spain couldn’t seem to solve Cape Verde’s defense, nor Vozinha.
Before this match, only the most diehard of fans would have known of Vozinha. But he has carved out a long, if not glamorous, career in international soccer. He was born in Cape Verde by the name Josimar José Évora Dias. He was raised by his grandparents, who gave him the nickname Vozinha, which roughly translates to “voice.”
As Vozinha began his professional career, the name stuck. He went on to play for clubs in Angola, Moldova, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Portugal.
