There's no end to it – New biological species named after Vozinha
Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 11.07.26. | 11:14
After having a street named in his honour and enjoying a meteoric rise to fame, the Cape Verde goalkeeper has now received yet another remarkable tribute
Cabo Verde's remarkable World Cup journey has earned veteran goalkeeper Vozinha recognition in one of the most unexpected ways imaginable — by having a newly-identified marine species bear his name.
According to The Athletic, Spanish marine biologist Jesus Ortea has named a previously unknown sea slug Aldisa vozinhai in honour of the 40-year-old goalkeeper following his outstanding performances at the World Cup.
Vozinha was one of the standout performers in this summer’s World Cup, and now the Cape Verde goalkeeper has been recognised by having a newly-discovered species named in his honour.
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) July 10, 2026
A new species of marine mollusk has been named after the 40-year-old by Spanish researcher Jesus… pic.twitter.com/vgrCDRl2Dh
The tiny bright-red mollusc, measuring only around four millimetres in length, was formally introduced in Ortea's latest publication, Historias de la Bioadversidad (Biodiversity Stories), after being discovered in Caribbean waters near Havana, Cuba, and Guadeloupe.
The timing of the announcement was no coincidence. Ortea chose to unveil the species shortly after Vozinha's heroic display against European champions Spain, a match in which the Cabo Verde captain produced seven saves to secure a memorable goalless draw and was deservedly named Player of the Match. The researcher saw the naming as a tribute not only to the goalkeeper but also to Cape Verde's historic World Cup debut.
Ortea's bond with the island nation stretches back several years. In 2023, he was awarded Cabo Verde's Medal of Environmental Merit for his work studying the country's marine biodiversity, creating a connection that ultimately inspired him to immortalise Vozinha's name in the scientific world.
Remarkably, this is not the first football-inspired species Ortea has introduced. In 2019, the University of Oviedo professor honoured former Real Madrid and Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas by naming another newly-discovered marine snail after him, continuing his unusual tradition of combining football with marine science.
Vozinha's performances in the United States have turned him into one of the tournament's biggest surprise stars. At 40 years and 12 days old, he became the oldest player ever to feature in a nation's first World Cup appearance, adding another chapter to a career that has taken him through clubs in Cabo Verde, Portugal, Slovakia, Cyprus and Moldova.
His rise has extended far beyond the pitch. Before the tournament, the goalkeeper had around 50,000 Instagram followers. Since then, his audience has exploded to approximately 28.5 million, highlighting just how quickly he has become a global football sensation.
The experienced shot-stopper started all four of Cabo Verde's World Cup matches, recording another clean sheet against Saudi Arabia before helping his country reach the knockout stage in their debut appearance. Even in the dramatic 3-2 extra-time defeat to Argentina, Vozinha once again delivered a seven-save performance, earning widespread praise despite his team's elimination.
While Cabo Verde's dream run may have come to an end, Vozinha's legacy now extends well beyond football. Thanks to an extraordinary tribute from the scientific community, his name will forever live on beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea as well as in World Cup history.