It is not every day that a sports star gets a newly discovered marine species named after them, but that is exactly the once-in-a-lifetime honor that has fallen to Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who captured global attention with his standout 2026 FIFA World Cup displays for underdog Cape Verde.\n\nThe story of the namesake honor begins with Jesus Ortea, a 75-year-old emeritus professor at the University of Oviedo and a lifelong football fan. Ortea, who was awarded Cape Verde’s Medal of Merit in 2023 for his years of marine research in the waters surrounding the island nation, uncovered the tiny bright red mollusk during a research expedition in the Caribbean. Following his discovery, he made the decision to name the species Aldisa vozinha in tribute to the goalkeeper’s remarkable World Cup run.\n\nCape Verde, the second smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup finals, defied all pre-tournament expectations to advance out of their group stage, capturing the hearts of football fans across the globe. Their journey ended only in the Round of 16, where they pushed defending champions Argentina all the way to extra time before bowing out with a narrow 3-2 defeat. The standout moment of the team’s historic campaign came in their group stage clash with European champions Spain, where Vozinha put on a legendary performance, making seven spectacular saves to secure a hard-fought 0-0 draw — the first World Cup point in Cape Verde’s entire history.\n\nIn his official discovery report, Ortea explained the reasoning behind his naming choice, noting that he wanted to recognize Vozinha’s “prominent role” in the underdog success against Spain, a side famously nicknamed La Roja, or ‘The Red One’. \”The red colour of the dedicated species is a reminder of his feat,\” Ortea wrote in his notes on the new find.\n\nVozinha’s standout showing against Spain immediately catapulted him to global stardom. Before the World Cup, he had roughly 50,000 followers on Instagram, but that number surged exponentially in the weeks after the match, growing to more than 17.4 million — a follower count that surpasses even legendary NFL star Tom Brady.\n\nThis is far from the first time Ortea has combined his two great passions: marine biology and football. On previous expeditions, he has honored other famous goalkeepers and players with species names: he named a discovery made off the coast of Costa Rica after Keylor Navas, the country’s legendary former goalkeeper who played for top clubs including Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Nottingham Forest. He also named a small marine creature, which carried the same distinct color scheme as Spanish club side Sporting Gijon, after the club’s iconic former striker Quini.