"Vozinha" received widespread praise for quickly rallying his Cape Verde teammates to stand up and keep fighting after their loss to Argentina, which ended their 2026 World Cup Round of 32 campaign.
On 4 July 2026, following the 2026 World Cup Round of 32, Cape Verde lost 2-3 to Argentina in extra time, ending their journey at this stage. However, the scene after the game became one of the tournament's most memorable moments.
Vozinha, the veteran 40-year-old goalkeeper and captain of Cape Verde, showed outstanding leadership. Instead of showing disappointment, he went around pulling teammates up by the arms and embracing them, encouraging everyone to hold their heads high with pride.
After the game, Vozinha spoke with determined eyes: "We did not lose without dignity. We've come this far and have nothing to be ashamed of. We represent a small country and have shown the world how we can compete against top teams. I told everyone to stand up because we need to go thank the fans who came to support us with smiles."
Argentina advanced to the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 to face Egypt. The match will be broadcast live on Thairath TV Channel 32 and the Monomax application on Tuesday, 7 July at 23:00.