The 40-year-old hero of Cape Verde Vosignha has set a historical record of World Cups

The goalkeeper of the Cape Verde national team Vozinha wrote his name in the history of world championships after the match of the first round of the 2026 World Cup against Spain. The experienced goalkeeper became the oldest footballer ever to debut at the World Cup. At the time of entering the field, Vosigny was 40 years and 12 days old. In doing so, he surpassed the previous achievement of Canadian Atiba Hutchinson, who made his World Cup debut in 2022 at the age of 39 years and 288 days. However, the record-breaking debut was only part of a successful evening for the veteran. It was his reliable play that allowed Cape Verde to hold a sensational draw against one of the favorites of the tournament, the Spanish national team. Vosignha made seven saves and did not allow the opponents to hit his goal once. Previously, the goalkeeper already. The 40-year-old football player, who at the club level plays for Chavis from the second division of Portugal, became the main character of the historic result for his country. At the same time, Vosignha became a record holder only for the age of his debut at the world championships. Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who played at the 2018 World Cup at the age of 45 years and 161 days, remains the oldest football player to appear on the field at the World Cup. The Cape Verde national team will play its next match at the tournament on June 22 against Uruguay.