Spanish biologist names new sea slug species after Cape Verde World Cup hero Vozinha

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has picked up an extraordinary honor for his standout performances at the World Cup — not from a football institution, but from a marine biologist. Jesús Ortea, an emeritus professor at the University of Oviedo, discovered a new species of red sea slug in the Caribbean and named it Adisa Vozinha after the 40-year-old shot-stopper. In his scientific paper, Ortea explained that the vibrant red color represents the Spanish national team, La Roja, against whom Vozinha produced a heroic display in a group-stage draw — one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. Cape Verde became the second-smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup. They advanced past the group stage and pushed eventual champions Argentina all the way in the Round of 16. But it was the match against Spain that turned Vozinha into a global fan favorite. Ortea, who was awarded a medal by the Cape Verdean government in 2023 for his work studying the country’s waters, has a tradition of merging science with football. He previously named a species after Keylor Navas, the former Real Madrid and PSG goalkeeper, and another after Quini, the legendary Sporting Gijón striker.