Vozinha's mother flies to Miami to watch Cape Verde face Uruguay at the World Cup

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha’s mother arrived in Miami on Friday after the US State Department granted her a visa, setting up an emotional reunion ahead of Sunday’s Group H clash against Uruguay at the 2026 World Cup.

Ana Candida Evora travelled from Praia, Cape Verde’s capital, and emerged from the arrivals area at Miami International Airport at 3.53pm local time, wearing a pink shirt and smiling as she was greeted by Fifa-accredited staff. “I want to wish him good luck and a good match,” she told waiting reporters.

The visa was secured following Vozinha’s tearful comments after Cape Verde’s stunning 0-0 draw with Spain, in which the 40-year-old goalkeeper was named Player of the Match. He had spoken openly about his wish for his mother to witness him play at the World Cup in person, a moment that drew widespread attention and prompted the diplomatic intervention.

It remains unclear whether Evora would immediately make the five-hour drive to Tampa, where the squad is based, or wait until Sunday for their reunion before the crucial Group H fixture — a match that could move Cape Verde closer to the knockout stages.

Vozinha’s performance against Spain also triggered a remarkable surge in his social media profile. Within 24 hours of the final whistle, he had accumulated nearly 10 million Instagram followers — surpassing NBA star Victor Wembanyama (6.2 million) and NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes (6.4 million).

Much of that growth was attributed to Brazilian streaming channel CazéTV, which holds rights to all 104 World Cup matches in Brazil. During the broadcast, presenter Casimiro Miguel — known as Cazé — noticed Vozinha had relatively few followers and encouraged his audience to follow the goalkeeper. The channel, which has more than 31 million YouTube subscribers, is known for its informal, community-driven approach to sports coverage.

“Crazy, that’s crazy,” Vozinha said of his overnight fame in an interview with CazéTV after the match.