In a remarkable turn of events at the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, Cabo Verde's veteran goalkeeper Vozinha has had a newly discovered species of sea slug named in his honor.
According to major international media outlets, including the BBC, Jesús Ortega, an honorary professor of marine biology at the University of Oviedo in Spain, recently named the newly discovered sea slug species 'Aldisa vozinha' after the goalkeeper, who played a pivotal role in Cabo Verde's surprising performance.
This new species, found in the Caribbean near Havana, Cuba, and the waters around Guadeloupe, is a small, reddish mollusk measuring approximately 4 mm in length.
Ortega, a passionate soccer fan, explained that he chose to name the new species after Vozinha to honor his outstanding performance during the World Cup. He stated, "I wanted to pay tribute to Vozinha for his remarkable role in Cabo Verde's debut match against Spain, a title contender. The red color of the sea slug is a homage to his achievement against the Spanish national team, known as 'La Roja' (The Red Brigade)."
This is not the first time Ortega has named marine organisms after soccer players. He previously named new marine species after Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas and legendary Spanish forward Quini from the 1970s and 1980s.
Cabo Verde, an African island nation with a population of about 580,000, made history by reaching the World Cup finals for the first time. In Group H, they remained unbeaten against Spain (0-0), Uruguay (2-2), and Saudi Arabia (0-0), finishing second in the group to advance to the knockout stage.
In the Round of 32, Cabo Verde faced defending champions Argentina, losing 3-2 after a hard-fought extra time battle. However, their performance against some of the world's top teams garnered widespread acclaim.
At the center of this success was goalkeeper Vozinha, who recorded seven saves against Spain alone and totaled 18 saves over four matches, solidifying his position as a key player for Cabo Verde.
Following the World Cup, Vozinha's popularity surged dramatically. His Instagram following skyrocketed from around 56,000 before the tournament to over 28 million currently.
Vozinha's real name is Jorge Mar José Evora Dias, but he uses the name 'Vozinha,' which means 'grandmother' in Portuguese, as a nod to his childhood when he would seek comfort from his grandmother during difficult times.
Having completed the World Cup schedule, Vozinha has returned to his home country to rest and is reportedly facing potential transfer rumors to a Brazilian professional soccer club, signaling a new challenge ahead.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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