Newly-discovered species named after Cape Verde's World Cup hero Vozinha

Spanish researcher Ortea has named a newly-discovered species of marine mollusc after Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, as per The Athletic. The new species, Aldisa vozinhai, is a small red sea slug measuring around four millimetres that had previously been unknown to science before being described in Ortea's published work Historias de la Bioadversidad (Biodiversity Stories).

The species was discovered in the Caribbean near Havana, Cuba, and Guadeloupe. Ortea timed the publication of his work to coincide with the World Cup after Vozinha's man-of-the-match display in Cape Verde's goalless draw against European champions Spain, where the 40-year-old produced seven saves. The tribute links football and marine biology in an unusual way while recognising Vozinha's impact during the latter stages of his career.

According to the same report, Ortea's naming of the species was his way of thanking the people of Cape Verde. The researcher has a close connection with the country after receiving the Medal of Environmental Merit in 2023 in recognition of his contributions to the study of marine biodiversity across the archipelago. That relationship with Cape Verde ultimately inspired the decision to name the newly-discovered species after the national team's veteran goalkeeper.

This is not the first time Ortea has honoured a footballer in this way. The University of Oviedo professor previously named a newly-discovered species of tiny marine sea snail after former Real Madrid and Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas in 2019.

Vozinha's World Cup campaign has brought him global recognition. The goalkeeper became the oldest player to appear in a nation's World Cup debut at 40 years and 12 days old, adding another milestone to a career spanning clubs in Cape Verde, Moldova, Slovakia, Cyprus and Portugal.

His popularity also surged during the tournament. Vozinha's Instagram following grew from 50,000 before Cape Verde's opening match to 28.5 million at the time of writing, reflecting his emergence as one of the competition's breakout stories.

Vozinha featured in all four of Cape Verde's World Cup matches, keeping another clean sheet against Saudi Arabia as his side reached the last 32. He also impressed in a 3-2 extra-time defeat to Argentina, producing another seven saves despite the elimination. The scientific tribute ensures his World Cup exploits will be remembered beyond football, giving the veteran a lasting place in both sporting and scientific history.