Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has called on his country to stand united ahead of the biggest match in its football history, with the World Cup debutants preparing to face defending champions Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32. The Blue Sharks have emerged as one of the tournament's biggest surprises after becoming the smallest nation ever to reach the knockout stage.
Cabo Verde advanced after producing three disciplined performances against higher-ranked opponents in the group stage. They held European champions Spain to a goalless draw, played out a thrilling 2-2 result against Uruguay and recorded another clean sheet in a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia. The results highlighted the team's defensive organisation and resilience on their first appearance at the World Cup.
The island nation also became the first team since Chile in 1998 to progress beyond the group stage after drawing all three matches. Ahead of the historic encounter with Argentina, Vozinha shared an emotional message urging the country to dream together. He said the team would take the field with the support of an entire nation as they attempted to continue one of the greatest chapters in Cabo Verde's sporting history.
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Vozinha said there would be no islands, distances or borders when the players stepped onto the pitch, declaring that the country would stand together as one people, one flag and one heart. The 40-year-old called on the team to display Cabo Verde's strength, culture, spirit and courage from the opening minute until the final whistle as they chase another historic result.
The veteran goalkeeper has been one of the key figures behind Cabo Verde's remarkable campaign. His two clean sheets have placed him alongside England great Peter Shilton and Italy legend Dino Zoff as one of only three goalkeepers to record multiple World Cup clean sheets after turning 40. Shilton leads the list with three, while Zoff and Vozinha have two each.
Defending champions Argentina are taking nothing for granted ahead of the knockout match. Head coach Lionel Scaloni has acknowledged the challenge posed by the tournament debutants and warned that Cabo Verde will make things difficult for his side. The winner will advance to the Round of 16 as Cabo Verde attempt to extend their historic World Cup journey against one of football's biggest teams.
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