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Cape Verde pulled off a stunning feat by playing Spain to a draw in its first-ever World Cup game, and the goalkeeper known as “Vozinha” played a key role in that result. His mother was priced out of attending the tournament, but she’ll have the chance to witness his next game thanks to the bipartisan effort that led to her landing a visa to travel to the United States.
The 2026 World Cup features four countries that earned the right to compete in the international showdown for the first time: Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan, and Cape Verde. The first two nations on that list suffered a defeat in their inaugural game, but Cape Verde made a statement when it debuted on soccer’s biggest stage by holding Spain scoreless in a 0-0 tie.
They may not have won the game, but the team basically earned a victory by not losing to the juggernaut that was viewed as a favorite to win this year’s World Cup. That upset was a team effort, and there isn’t a single player who managed to garner more attention than Josimar Dias, the 40-year-old goalie who goes by “Vozinha,” who made seven saves while earning Man of the Match honors.
After the game, he tearfully bemoaned the fact that his mother was unable to watch his heroic performance in person while citing the price of the visa that prevented her from traveling to the United States for the World Cup. However, she will be joining him in Miami for the team’s next game.
Politicians stepped up to make sure Vozinha’s mom could enter the United States to watch her son in Cape Verde’s next game
REUTERS/Davidson Alves
Prior to the start of the World Cup, the State Department compiled a list of 50 countries whose citizens were required to post a bond of between $5,000 and $15,000 in order to apply for the visa they needed to acquire to travel to America for the tournament.
Visitors from Cape Verde were required to fork over the highest end of that range, and Vozinha’s mother, Ana Candida Evora, was unable to afford to apply for one. In May, officials announced the fees would be waived for anyone who had a ticket to attend a game, but the change came too late for her to secure one.
However, things have taken a pretty heartwarming turn ahead of Cape Verde’s showdown with Uruguay on June 21st. On Wednesday, Hakeem Jefferies, the New York City Democrat who serves as the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, announced he worked in conjunction with Republican Secretary of State Marco Rubio to get Evora a visa that will allow her to travel to Miami for Sunday’s match.
Star Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha and his mother will be reunited in Miami in time for the match on Sunday.
Thank you to Secretary Rubio, U.S. State Department officials, the government of Cabo Verde and FIFA for working together to make this happen. pic.twitter.com/JaWpSQuzb2
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) June 17, 2026
He noted the State Department agreed to waive the fees for the visa, and a number of agencies are working together to make sure she’ll be able to get to the United States in time for the game.
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