Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has shared details of a heartfelt exchange with Argentina star Lionel Messi following his team’s exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The underdogs, Cape Verde, delivered an all-time performance against the holders, Argentina, pushing them to the brink in the Round of 32 clash.
However, Messi’s side eventually edged Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time to book their place in the Round of 16.
Speaking after the match, Vozinha said he approached Messi and revealed that the Inter Miami striker embraced him.
“I went up to Messi after the game. He hugged me and said: ‘You are great. Your people should be proud of you’. That was incredible for me. Hearing words like that from someone like Leo Messi means a lot to me.”
Vozinha added that he thanked Messi and called him the best before asking if they could exchange shirts.
Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel
“I thanked him and said, Thank you, Leo. You are the best. Then I asked if we could swap shirts. Leo said he would give it to me in the tunnels after the interview.”
Reflecting on Cape Verde’s campaign, Vozinha said his team had competed on equal terms with the reigning world champions and even had opportunities to win the match.
He said the players had every reason to be satisfied with their performance and proud of what they had achieved.
“We played against the current world champion and today, playing on equal terms and also having the opportunity to win the game… for us, we have to be very, very satisfied and proud,” Vozinha said.
“Obviously we are sad, we didn’t want our run to end here, but I am very grateful for everything. I want to thank all my teammates, everyone, the coaching staff, the federation, and all the fans who made a huge effort to come here and support us.”
“And now it’s time to look to the future and see that good things are ahead for us. We have a fantastic group, players with a lot of quality, and who knows, hopefully we will see these young guys, these players, playing in the best leagues in the world,” he concluded.
For the unversed, Vozinha returns home as a national hero after a tournament marked by remarkable consistency in goal, finishing with a save percentage of 78.3% from 74 shots faced.
Playing for the first time in the mega event, Cape Verde exceeded expectations by advancing ahead of Uruguay and Saudi Arabia before pushing the defending champions to the limit in a memorable Round of 32 encounter.
READ: Kylian Mbappe draws level with Messi in World Cup Golden Boot race