Cape Verde will make its World Cup debut in 2026. The Atlantic island nation has put in an impressive performance in the African qualifiers. Group H, which includes world No. 1 Spain, will be the toughest test—but simply qualifying for the World Cup is a historic achievement in itself.

Coach Bubista has named three goalkeepers for the Blue Sharks: Vozinha, Márcio Rosa, and CJ dos Santos. Cape Verde is making its World Cup debut—one of four first-time participants in 2026, alongside Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. In Group H, the Blue Sharks will face Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia. The trio of goalkeepers includes a 39-year-old national hero, a veteran from the Bulgarian league, and a Philadelphia-born MLS goalkeeper who, until just a few weeks ago, was still playing for the U.S.

Vozinha, whose real name is Josimar José Évora Dias, was born on June 3, 1986, in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente—and will be competing in the tournament at the age of 40. With over 85 international caps, he is the most experienced player on the entire roster, the team’s vice-captain, and the oldest member of the goalkeeping trio. His career has taken him from his home islands through Angola, Portugal, Moldova, Cyprus, and Slovakia to GD Chaves in Liga Portugal 2, where he has played since July 2024. In the 2024/25 season, he started all 32 league games and recorded 11 shutouts—solid numbers in Portugal’s second division for a 38-year-old.

Vozinha was part of the AFCON tournaments in 2013, 2015, 2021, and 2023—he has lived through and helped shape the entire modern era of Cape Verdean soccer. The 2026 World Cup is the crowning achievement of a career that no one could have predicted would last this long. For Cape Verde, he is more than just a goalkeeper: he is the face of a generation.

Rosa, 29 years old and born in Praia, Cape Verde, is the only true local among the trio of goalkeepers—and has had an unusually long journey through European soccer. Raised at the EPIF Academy in Cape Verde, he joined GD Chaves in Portugal at age 17, came up through their youth system, and then played for Montalegre, Cova da Piedade, Real SC, Vilafranquense, and Anadia before moving to Hebar Pazardzhik in the Bulgarian Parva Liga in 2024, where he played 20 league matches with a save percentage of nearly 73 percent. Since the summer of 2025, he has been with Montana, also in the Bulgarian first division. With around eight international appearances, he serves as the international link between Vozinha and new signing dos Santos—experienced enough for the backup role, yet young enough for the future.

Dos Santos, 25 years old and born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the most unusual goalkeeper in this World Cup. The son of a Cape Verdean father and a Portuguese mother, he grew up at the Philadelphia Union Academy, moved to the Benfica Academy in Lisbon at age 16, and progressed through all the youth and reserve teams there until making his professional debut for Benfica B in the Portuguese second division. This was followed by a stint with Inter Miami in the MLS—including the team’s first League Cup title in 2023 and the MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2024. Since December 2024, he has been the starting goalkeeper for San Diego FC, the MLS expansion club, where he recorded 10 shutouts in 30 appearances during his debut season and helped the club set a points record.