Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has firmly etched his name into the annals of football history. With a commanding performance against Saudi Arabia, the 40-year-old veteran became only the third goalkeeper in FIFA World Cup history to record multiple clean sheets after turning 40.
Vozinha achieved the feat with his second clean sheet of the group stage, a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia. The Cape Verdean No. 1 made three key saves in the match, helping his nation – ranked around 67th in the world – secure a crucial point and advance to the knockout rounds as one of the tournament’s biggest underdog stories.
This comes on the heels of an already unforgettable debut. On June 15, 2026, in Cape Verde’s first-ever World Cup match against reigning European champions Spain, the 40-year-old produced a masterclass performance.
Facing 27 shots (seven on target), Vozinha made seven saves to earn a stunning 0-0 draw and Player of the Match honors. That night, he also became the oldest goalkeeper in World Cup history to keep a clean sheet on his tournament debut.
While Peter Shilton holds the record with three clean sheets after crossing the age-40 milestone, Vozinha has now tied Euro and World Cup winner Dino Zoff with two. What makes the Cape Verdean’s feat even more remarkable is that these milestones have come during Cabo Verde’s history-making debut appearance at a FIFA World Cup.
Goalkeeper Country Clean Sheets After 40
Peter Shilton England 3
Dino Zoff Italy 2
Vozinha Cabo Verde 2
A Fairytale Debut For Blue Sharks
With a population of just around 500,000 across 10 volcanic islands, Cabo Verde has officially become the least populous nation ever to reach the knockout rounds of a World Cup. Remarkably, they progressed as runners-up in Group H without losing a single match, mirroring Chile’s famous 1998 unbeaten group-stage progression via three straight draws.
Currently a free agent after his contract with Portuguese second-tier side Chaves expired, Vozinha is using the global stage as the ultimate resume.
Cape Verde now faces a daunting knockout clash against reigning champions Argentina and Lionel Messi on July 3 in Miami.
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