MIAMI GARDENS, Florida — As the world prepares to celebrate Father’s Day this Sunday, one of the most heartwarming underdog stories of the 2024 FIFA World Cup has taken an even more uplifting turn: Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha will have his mother watching him from the stands when his Blue Sharks side faces Uruguay in their second Group Stage matchup.
Josimar José Évora Dias, known professionally by his nickname Vozinha, became a global sensation after Cape Verde pulled off one of the most stunning results in recent World Cup history: a scoreless draw against pre-tournament favorite Spain in their opening fixture. But the 40-year-old goalkeeper’s viral post-match moment carried a bittersweet edge: he teared up sharing that his mother Ana Candida Evora had been unable to join him for the match after being denied a U.S. travel visa, largely due to financial barriers covering the application costs. He also shared a touching tribute to his late grandparents, saying he wished they had lived to see him play on the world’s biggest soccer stage.
That emotional interview sparked an unprecedented collective effort to reunite mother and son. Officials from the U.S. State Department, FIFA, members of the U.S. Congress, and the Cape Verde Football Federation joined forces to cut through bureaucratic red tape and resolve Evora’s visa and funding issues. After more than 24 hours of nonstop travel from the small West African island nation, Evora landed in Miami on Friday afternoon, where she was greeted by a waiting group of FIFA staff and volunteers. Over the weekend, FIFA hosted her at the organization’s Florida tournament headquarters before she settled in to watch Sunday’s match.
The viral moment has already transformed Vozinha’s profile and turned the tiny Cape Verde side into global fan favorites. When the World Cup kicked off, Vozinha had roughly 50,000 followers on Instagram. By Sunday morning, that number had skyrocketed to nearly 15 million, as fans from across the world latched onto the team’s underdog narrative and the heartfelt story of Vozinha and his mother.
In a video message distributed by FIFA on Sunday, Evora expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support that got her to Miami. “I want to thank all the fans, everyone who helped in the process, for the support you gave to the team, especially to Cabo Verde,” she said. “We’re all rooting for Cabo Verde to play well, to shine on the pitch. The players need to have faith and everything will go well. Keep your heads held high, go onto that pitch, push for a goal and you’ll perform beautifully, my boys. A kiss for you, be strong and brave. Blue Sharks!” The team’s nickname, Tubarões Azuis, translates directly to Blue Sharks in English.
While the off-pitch excitement and new global attention have been overwhelming, Cape Verde forward Garry Rodrigues said the squad is staying focused on their next challenge against Uruguay. “It’s been intense,” Rodrigues acknowledged. “But as we are professionals, the game against Spain is now in the past. … We’re still human. Seeing everything on the internet has been very intense. But we cannot use that as an excuse. We know our targets. We know our goals.”