Top News

Cape Verde’s 40-Year-Old Vozinha Sets Multiple World Records, Including A Piece Of History With Lamine Yamal

Sanjeev Kumar | June 16, 2026 10:22 AM CST

In a game that caught attention for being the FIFA World Cup debut of 18-year-old Spanish star Lamine Yamal, it was a player 22 years older than him, Vozinha, who stole the show as Cape Verde marked their maiden appearance in the FIFA World Cup with a historic result at the Mercedez Benz Arena.

The two teams played out a 0-0 draw, a result that is being described as the biggest upset in the tournament's history. Cape Verde kept Spain's star-studded attack at bay with some resilient defending and a compact tactical set-up. However, it was goalkeeper Vozinha that was key to the result. The 40-year-old made seven saves in the match and was awarded the Player of the Match (POTM) award. Vozinha's effort was appreciated by his teammate, who rushed to him after the full-time whistle. He also earned the praise of football fans and became the toast of the sporting world as he gained over three million Instagram followers (and counting). Moreover, he also rewrote the history books with his memorable display.

Vozinha Creates History

Aged 40 years and 12 days, Vozinha became the second-oldest debutant in the FIFA World Cup's history. Only Egypt's goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary (45 years, 161 days) is ahead of him in the elite list. He achieved the feat during the 2018 edition of the tournament in the Mohammed Salah-starrer team's final group stage fixture against Saudi Arabia in the Russian city of Volgograd. As per OPTA, Vozinha set a new world record and is the oldest player to keep a clean sheet on a World Cup debut. Moreover, he has also become the oldest footballer as well as the first player above 40 to play in a country's first-ever match in the tournament. He broke a record set only 24 hours ago by Curacao's Eloy Room (37 years, 128 days) against Germany. Overall, Vozinha is the eighth oldest player to make a FIFA World Cup appearance. Among the 10 oldest players to play in the tournament, nine are goalkeepers, with Cameron striker Roger Milla the only exception. Oldest Players To Play FIFA World Cup Match

Player	Age	Team	Opponent	Year
Essam El Hadary	45 years, 5 months, 10 days	Egypt	Saudi Arabia	2018
Faryd Mondragón	43 years, 03 days	Colombia	Japan	2014
Roger Milla	42 years, 01 month 08 days	Cameroon	Russia	1994
Pat Jennings	41 years, 00 days	England	Brazil	1986
Dino Zoff	40 years, 09 months, 19 days	Italy	Germany	1982
Manuel Neuer	40 years, 04 months, 13 days	Germany	Curacao	2026
Ali Boumnijel	40 years, 02 months, 10 days	Tunisia	Ukraine	2006
Vozinha	40 years, 12 days	Cape Verde	Spain	2026
Jim Leighton	39 years, 10 months, 30 days	Scotland	Tunisia	1998
David James	39 years, 10 months, 26 days	England	Germany	2010

The World Record With Lamine Yamal

Yamal (18 years, 337 days) and Vozinha (40 years, 12 days) went head to head against each other with an age difference of 21 years, 45 days. This is the longest difference (by age) between two opponents in the FIFA World Cup. The record was previously England's David James and Algeria's Ryad Boudebouz in the 2010 edition. The duo had an age gap of 19 years, 207 days. Vozinha and Yamal set the unique world record when the latter came on as a substitute in the 70th minute.