The U.S. State Department wants to help the mother of Cape Verde's goalkeeper Vozinha (40) travel to the World Cup in the United States. This was announced by a representative of the agency on Tuesday, as reported by U.S. broadcaster CNN. The background is a plea for help from the keeper after his team's sensational 0-0 draw against Spain.
After the match on Monday, Vozinha regretted that his mother could not be in the stadium - for financial reasons. "She didn't make it here because of the visa... because of the money we have to pay for the visa", he told reporters. "We didn't make it in time, and I would have loved to have her here."
Dispute over the visa bond
According to CNN, Cape Verde is among approximately 50 countries whose citizens must deposit a bond of up to $15,000 under a Trump administration policy - justified by allegedly high rates of visa overstays.
When asked about the goalkeeper's statements, the agency representative explained that there was no record of a visa application from the mother. At the same time, the bond would be waived for "all relatives of players". "The U.S. State Department has no record of this person applying for a visa. All relatives of players are eligible to be exempted from the visa bond, and the department is actively reaching out to this player's family to assist with visa services", the representative said.
On its website, the department notes that the bond is waived for athletes, staff, and close relatives from participating countries in the 2026 World Cup, provided all other visa requirements are met. A source familiar with the matter told CNN that, to their knowledge, the mother currently does not have a valid passport and is in the process of applying for one.
From second-division keeper to internet star
For Vozinha, whose real name is Josimar Dias, it is a meteoric rise. The 40-year-old, who plays in the Portuguese second division, saved seven shots in his country's first World Cup match and kept the favored Spanish team at bay for 90 minutes. Many had predicted a heavy defeat for the island nation of around 530,000 inhabitants - instead, they achieved the most important result in Cape Verde's football history.
The success made the previously largely unknown goalkeeper instantly famous: his Instagram follower count grew from around 50,000 to approximately 11.6 million (as of Wednesday). Cape Verde's next match is on Sunday against Uruguay in Miami.
