Casimiro Miguel, founder of CazéTV, took a playful jab at Globo during the live broadcast of Spain vs. Cape Verde on Monday, June 15, after learning that Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha likes Brazilian soap operas. The match ended 0-0 and marked a historic debut for Cape Verde in the 2026 World Cup. CazéTV holds the rights to broadcast all 104 matches of the tournament, while Globo has a deal with FIFA to show 52 games. Casimiro joked that Globo is airing “a lot of soap operas” instead of football and said Vozinha could watch them, even though he is still dreaming of helping Cape Verde advance in the competition.
Vozinha’s story has strong ties to Brazil beyond the shared Portuguese language. His real name is Josimar José Évora Dias, and he was named after Josimar Higino Pereira, the Brazilian right back who played for Botafogo from 1981 to 1989. His father admired the Brazilian player, and his grandparents followed Brazilian football and supported the country. Raised on Brazilian culture, Vozinha said in an interview with ESPN that his family regularly watched Brazilian soap operas after the news. He specifically recalled titles such as Xica da Silva, Malhação, and Rei do Gado, and said he also enjoyed Brazilian music, including Ivete Sangalo, Seu Jorge, Cidade Negra, and Revelação. He added that his grandmother was a fan of Roberto Carlos. Among the football figures he admires are former Brazil goalkeeper Rogério Ceni, Ronaldo Fenômeno, and Ronaldinho Gaúcho.
The 2026 tournament is the first World Cup appearance in Cape Verde’s history. The team secured qualification by defeating Eswatini 3-0 in the final round of African qualifiers in Praia. Although Cape Verde faces a difficult group featuring Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, the team arrived with confidence after making history and building momentum in pre-tournament friendlies. In the build-up to the World Cup, Cape Verde beat Serbia 3-0 and Bermuda 3-0, showing strong form before the opening match.
Against Spain, the reigning European champions and one of the favorites to win the World Cup, Cape Verde delivered a disciplined performance and earned a notable goalless draw. The result added to the significance of the team’s first-ever World Cup campaign and highlighted Vozinha’s role as one of the standout figures in the match.
