In case anyone was wondering why the World Cup is great...this is why.
CAPE VERDE 0, SPAIN 0
Ladies and gentlemen, we introduce you to your new favorite player ever of all time and forever a World Cup legend, Mr. Josimar José Évora Dias... also known as Vozinha.
Yes that is a supercut of his shutout of La Roja, the #2 team in the world, in Cape Verde's first-everleft-hand World Cup game. The Blue Sharks managed probably only one legitimate attack in this game right at the death and would have become immortal if they had stolen all three points, but the draw will do.
Spain looked uncreative and lackluster apart from a couple of Marc Cucurella overlaps on the left-hand side that tested Vozinha and caused a decent amount of chaos in the first half. But Cape Verde's organization and team defending, blocking 8 of Spain's 27 shots, with Spain having a dominant 75% possession and 800 total passes but finding no way to break through.
But it was the 40-year-old goalkeeper's seven saves that will be remembered in World Cup lore in one of the most famous results in the tournament's history.
ROG SPOKE TO CAPE VERDE GOALKEEPING HERO VOZINHA ON THE GREATEST DAY OF HIS LIFE 🇨🇻🏆 pic.twitter.com/NuhmCwxnfI
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) June 16, 2026
I'm sure those final five minutes felt a lot longer than ten minutes.
SAUDI ARABIA 1, URUGUAY 1
Saudi Arabia would take the lead in the 41st minute, following a superb corner kick by Musab Al-Juwayr that found teammate Mohamed Kanno. The midfielder's powerful header couldn't be handled cleanly by Uruguayan keeper Fernando Muslera who spilled a rebound right into the path of Abdulelah Al-Amri, who poked home the opener.
Uruguay would eventually build into the game, but after playing a fairly tepid first hour, their ongoing pressure onto Mohammed Al Owais' goal would only earn them an equalizer. Federico Vinas' downward header in the 80th minute was denied by a sharp reaction save, but Al Owais could do little about the rebound Maxi Araujo fired home. The Saudi keeper's nine saves kept the Falcons in the match late as his efforts were able to hold onto a point.
Jake Catanese
GROUP OVERVIEW
Yeah, the two best teams in this group were not good yesterday. Spain just lacked the creativity to break down a bunkered-in side, and Uruguay only picking up the urgency late really hurt them because if that game went another few minutes they could have won that. For all of the pressure both of the group giants had, they really didn't have a lot to show for it in the end compared to what we know both of these teams should be capable of.
Meanwhile, a dream start for both the Saudis and Cape Verde, whose final fixture now should easily be a win-and-go-through matchup. We'll see if Cape Verde can perhaps be a little more adventurous going forward in search of their first goal and if Spain can rebound against the stout Saudi defense.
UPCOMING MATCHES
Sunday, June 21
Match 37: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, noon on Fox (Atlanta)
Match 39: Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, 6 p.m. on FS1 (Miami)
