After winning plaudits across the globe for his World Cup performances with Cape Verde, goalkeeper Vozinha has received an unusual honour: a newly discovered species of sea slug has been named after him.
The small red mollusc was discovered by biologist Jesus Ortea in the Caribbean, and he opted to name it after the 40-year-old star of the tiny nation’s campaign. It now has the name Aldisa vozinha.
Cape Verde, the second smallest nation to ever reach the World Cup finals, captured the imagination of football fans worldwide. They came through the group stage and took holders Argentina all the way before exiting the competition with a 3-2 extra-time defeat in the last 32.
Before their elimination, Vozinha’s heroics had seen them claim their first World Cup point in a goalless draw with European champions Spain. It was that performance that inspired Ortea’s tribute.
In a report outlining his discovery, Ortea said he wanted to mark Vozinha’s “prominent role” and pointed out that it also came against a team nicknamed La Roja – The Red One. “The red colour of the dedicated species is a reminder of his feat,” his report added.
Vozinha’s performance in that game saw his fame explode overnight. His 50,000 Instagram followers ballooned to 17.4 million, surpassing athletes such as NFL legend Tom Brady.
Ortea, professor emeritus at the University of Oviedo, was awarded a Medal of Merit by the island nation in 2023 for his work in the waters around Cape Verde. It was not the first time the 75-year-old football fan has combined his passions, though.
He previously named a discovery found in Costa Rica after Keylor Navas, the country’s former goalkeeper who also played for Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain, and Nottingham Forest. A tiny creature which had the same colours as Spanish side Sporting Gijon was named after the club’s former striker Quini.
For Vozinha, the honour adds to a remarkable World Cup campaign that has already transformed his life. A goalkeeper who was relatively unknown outside his home country before the tournament is now a global celebrity, with a scientific namesake to match.
The discovery of Aldisa vozinha ensures that the 40-year-old’s name will live on long after his playing career ends—immortalised in the waters of the Caribbean and in the record books of both football and marine biology.
