Messi tells Cape Verde keeper Vozinha his people 'should be proud' after World Cup thriller

Lionel Messi personally told Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha that his people “should be proud” of him following Argentina’s hard-fought extra-time victory over the African side in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup.

Vozinha, 40, had been one of the breakout stars of the tournament, first drawing widespread attention with a clean sheet against Spain before helping Cape Verde reach the knockout stages for the first time. Against the world champions, he made a string of saves to keep his side in the contest, with Cape Verde’s attackers eventually forcing extra-time before Argentina grabbed the decisive goal.

Speaking about his post-match exchange with Messi, Vozinha recalled: “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. I thanked him and said, ‘Thank you, Leo. You are the best’.”

Vozinha also asked Messi for his shirt, with the Argentina captain agreeing to hand it over in the tunnel after completing his post-match interview.

The moment did not end there. Several Cape Verde players gate-crashed Messi’s pitchside interview to pose for photographs, prompting a wry remark from the 39-year-old: “They asked for my jersey, everything… On the field, they kick the c**p out of me.”

Messi had indeed been fouled five times during the match, yet still managed to score his seventh goal of the tournament in the first half — underlining his influence despite the close attention Cape Verde’s defenders paid him throughout.

Argentina now face Egypt in the last 16 after Egypt defeated Australia. Should they progress, their potential quarter-final opponents are Switzerland or Colombia. France and Morocco have already confirmed their place in the quarter-finals, while Norway, Brazil, England, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, and the United States are still competing for the remaining last-16 berths.