On June 18, Cabo Verde national team goalkeeper Vozinha stated in an exclusive interview with TNT Sports Brazil that Lionel Messi is his role model, and he dreams of playing against him and exchanging shirts.

During the interview, Vozinha said: "I really hope I can play against Messi and have the chance to get his shirt."

The reporter then asked: "Can you imagine this scenario? Cabo Verde is leading 1-0, in the final minutes the opponent wins a penalty, which is your specialty. Messi is standing at the penalty spot, and then you, Vozinha, make the save. That would be incredible, like a dream come true."

Vozinha responded: "Yes, but if I really do save it, Messi might not want to exchange shirts with me (laughs). Yes, it's possible, but that's football. We're here to compete, to make it difficult for our opponents."

Reflecting on Cabo Verde's draw with Spain, Vozinha said he has processed the emotions. He felt the team prepared very well for that match, and although the outside world viewed the draw as an "unexpected surprise," the team internally always believed strongly in their competitiveness. "We knew the game would be difficult, but we also knew that as long as we stay united and keep our cohesion, we have a chance to achieve the result we want." He emphasized that the team's belief never wavered.

Recalling his childhood, Vozinha spoke about his grandfather's profound influence on his career path. He said that as a teenager, his grandfather was often mocked and doubted by others because his play wasn't outstanding at the time, and he frequently made mistakes. But his grandfather always firmly defended him, repeatedly telling people on the streets: "My grandson is the best, one day you'll see him in the national team." This phrase became an important spiritual support in his life, helping him stay focused on his goals.

However, family circumstances were difficult. He mentioned that his grandfather later suffered from chronic alcoholism, and his health gradually deteriorated—sometimes he would fall drunk on the street and couldn't get up, requiring care from young Vozinha and his grandmother. Due to financial hardship, his grandmother had to pawn her gold earrings and rings to survive, redeeming them when possible, just to provide basic necessities for the family and allow him to eat properly and attend school.

Because of this, he doesn't drink alcohol to this day. He admitted that he loved his grandfather dearly, and his grandfather accompanied him through his growing years, during the most difficult times. "I cried after that match against Spain, mainly because I thought of my grandmother and grandfather," he said, emotions he has always kept deeply hidden in his heart.

Regarding the start of his career, Vozinha believes he became a goalkeeper relatively late. He recalled that in his youth he was short, and the outside world generally thought he had no future unless he grew taller. Only around 17 or 18 did he start growing significantly, and at that time football in Cabo Verde was still mostly amateur or semi-professional. Although he had the opportunity to develop in Portugal, the practical conditions weren't ideal, and he was also worried about not being able to continue supporting his grandmother, so he decided to return home to continue his studies, even planning to study architecture at one point as a backup plan.

However, a year later he became the starting goalkeeper for the national champion team and was named Cabo Verde's goalkeeper of the year. Looking back on this experience, he acknowledged that he indeed started his professional career relatively late, reaching a stable professional level only around 2012, when he was already 25 or 26 years old.

Regarding the attention from his more than 12 million social media followers, Vozinha said this far exceeded his expectations. "It would be a lie to say I foresaw this scale," he admitted. Although he sometimes uses social platforms, he doesn't post frequently. Now, suddenly facing such massive attention, he finds it somewhat difficult to adapt—he can't even reply to messages one by one, and everything feels a bit unreal.

He also clarified rumors about his mother's visa. He stated that his mother never left the country and doesn't even have a passport; the farthest she's ever traveled is to the beach. Initially his mother said she wouldn't go, but when the question of visa costs came up, she even suggested: "If you have to pay, you could pay for me too," because there were five people in the family and the financial pressure was high. Later, although the visa payment policy was adjusted, his mother never obtained a passport. She was only moved when his father was preparing to apply for a US visa, but ultimately she never completed the necessary procedures.

He used this to express his concern, believing that the real economic barrier is unfair to many ordinary people. "Many Cabo Verdeans want to come to the World Cup, but can't because the costs and deposits are too high for them." He emphasized this isn't just a personal problem but a real difficulty faced by many ordinary families. "The World Cup shouldn't belong only to the wealthy."

Finally, when asked about his World Cup dreams, Vozinha stated that the team wasn't afraid of any opponent from day one at the stadium. He believes that regardless of whether the team faces Uruguay or Saudi Arabia, they will pursue victory with the same conviction. "There's no burden for us; the pressure is more on our opponents. The bigger the challenge, the more we can show the true face of Cabo Verde."

When asked to imagine a playoff matchup with Argentina, he said it would be an extraordinary scenario. In his view, Messi is a role model among players, and he very much wants to compete with him on the same pitch and exchange shirts.

Переведено ИИ.