“That was incredible for me” - Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha reveals what Lionel Messi told him before swapping shirts at 2026 FIFA World Cup

× Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has revealed what Argentine maestro Lionel Messi told him before swapping shirts after a hard-fought encounter at the 2026 FIFA World Cup (July 3). Ad Vozinha became an overnight celebrity after his heroics in the Blue Sharks' opening game of the tournament. He made seven saves and kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against the defending UEFA EURO champions Spain.

He followed it up with solid performances against Uruguay (2-2) and Saudi Arabia (0-0), as Cabo Verde remained undefeated in their first ever FIFA World Cup group stage. They qualified for the knockout phase as second-place finishers in Group H and faced the monumental challenge of Messi's Argentina in the Round of 32. Ad Trending Although the eight-time Ballon d'Or opened the scoring on the night (29'), the tiny African nation defiantly responded with an equalizer (59').

Amazingly, they held on to the 1-1 scoreline and forced the game into extra-time. While they conceded immediately in the added period (92'), Sidny Lopes Cabral's scintillating equalizer levelled things up again (103'). Their fairytale run suffered a tragic end in the 111th minute, when Diney Borges inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net to give Argentina the win.

After the game, Messi was seen hugging and talking to Vozinha, who had another exceptional performance with eight magnificent saves. Ad After the game, the 40-year-old shotstopper revealed his conversation with the ex-Barcelona icon. He said (via @fabriziorom on Instagram): "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."

Ad "I thanked him and said: thank you Leo, you are the best. Then I asked if we could swap shirts… Leo said he was gonna give it to me in the tunnel after the interviews.

Moments like these remain engraved in your heart forever". Currently, Vozinha is a free agent after the expiration of his contract with Portuguese second division side GD Chaves. It will be interesting to see where he goes next after his impressive 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.

Ad "We need to correct the bad ones" - Argentina captain Lionel Messi makes claim after narrow win vs Cabo Verde at 2026 FIFA World Cup Argentina skipper Lionel Messi noted that his side will have to improve significantly after surviving a scare to beat Cabo Verde 3-2 in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup (July 3). Ad Prior to the game, La Albiceleste were considered the clear favourites to win. However, they made things difficult for themselves by twice conceding an equalizer before winning via an own goal in the 111th minute.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Messi, who opened the scoring on the night (29'), said (via Independent): "Today, we put in a huge effort, as always, playing well and playing badly, just like we always say. I think the important thing now is to rest, think about what's coming next and try to take positives from today's game... We also need to correct the bad ones, which I think were many today as well."

Up next, Argentina will face off against Mohamed Salah's Egypt in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Tuesday, July 7). × Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Aaryan Nagraj Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has revealed what Argentine maestro Lionel Messi told him before swapping shirts after a hard-fought encounter at the 2026 FIFA World Cup (July 3).

Ad Vozinha became an overnight celebrity after his heroics in the Blue Sharks' opening game of the tournament. He made seven saves and kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against the defending UEFA EURO champions Spain. He followed it up with solid performances against Uruguay (2-2) and Saudi Arabia (0-0), as Cabo Verde remained undefeated in their first ever FIFA World Cup group stage.

They qualified for the knockout phase as second-place finishers in Group H and faced the monumental challenge of Messi's Argentina in the Round of 32. Ad Trending Although the eight-time Ballon d'Or opened the scoring on the night (29'), the tiny African nation defiantly responded with an equalizer (59'). Amazingly, they held on to the 1-1 scoreline and forced the game into extra-time.

While they conceded immediately in the added period (92'), Sidny Lopes Cabral's scintillating equalizer levelled things up again (103'). Their fairytale run suffered a tragic end in the 111th minute, when Diney Borges inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net to give Argentina the win. After the game, Messi was seen hugging and talking to Vozinha, who had another exceptional performance with eight magnificent saves.

Ad After the game, the 40-year-old shotstopper revealed his conversation with the ex-Barcelona icon. He said (via @fabriziorom on Instagram): "I went up to Messi after the game… he hugged me and said: you are great, your people should be proud of