Mother of Cabo Verde hero Vozinha granted US visa to attend 2026 World Cup match - 'No mother should miss the chance to see her child make history'
Updated 21/06/2026 at 23:13 GMT+1
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The mother of Cabo Verde's heroic goalkeeper Vozinha has been granted a US visa to travel to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup in person after his amazing display in their opening game of the tournament, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced on Wednesday.
'They gave everything for me' - Why Cabo Verde hero Vozinha cried after Spain draw
Video credit: SNTV
Vozinha was arguably the man of the match, making numerous key saves, in Cabo Verde's famous 0-0 draw against Spain in their first-ever game at the World Cup.
The result was one of the World Cup's greatest ever shocks, as the island with a population of around 500,000 kept the European champions at bay.
After the match, 40-year-old Vozinha tearfully revealed that his mother had been unable to secure a visa to enter the US to watch her son play.
"My mum could not be here either because of a visa issue, and the money we had to pay for it. We did not manage to do this in time," he said.
But on Wednesday, Jeffries wrote on social media that he had spoken to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and "asked the State Department to do everything in their power to ensure that his mother can attend Cabo Verde’s next match."
Jeffries said that "no mother should miss the chance to see her child make history." He added: "It is a privilege to announce that Vozinha's mom will be able to secure a visa in time to attend their game this Sunday against Uruguay.
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'Many things to correct' - Spain react to shock Cape Verde draw in World Cup opener
Video credit: SNTV
"All fees have been waved consistent with official policy. Travel arrangements are now being made for mother and son to reunite in Miami.
"I thank Secretary Rubio, US State Department officials, the government of Cabo Verde and FIFA for working together to make this possible."
A person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press that the State Department believes that Vozinha’s mother did not apply for a visa because she did not hold a valid Cape Verde passport but that she is now in the process of getting one.
Vozinha's commanding display was a key reason why Cabo Verde were able to keep out Spain in Atlanta.
The goalkeeper - who plays his club football in the Portuguese second tier for Chaves - made seven saves during the contest to keep the likes of Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Mikel Oyarzabal at bay on a remarkable day for the small island nation, becoming the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on his World Cup debut in the process, per Opta.
Since 1966, the only goalkeeper aged 40 or older to make more saves in a World Cup match was Northern Ireland’s Pat Jennings, who made 10 against Brazil in 1986 on his 41st birthday.
"For me, it's an honour to represent the country I love. We are from a very small place, and our qualification path was very difficult too," Vozinha said after the game.
"Today our dream came true by competing against a team like Spain. I am very proud of all the people involved in that process. I cried after the game because I grew up with my grandparents when I was a kid, and they could not be there. They passed away a few years ago."
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Another perk of Vozinha's exceptional showing on the biggest stage was an astonishing surge in social media followers.
He began the tournament with around 46,000 Instagram followers and - at the time of writing - has seen that number climb to 12.3 million.
Vozinha will hope for another clean sheet and more recognition when Cabo Verde play Uruguay on Sunday, June 21.
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