Lionel Messi faces a surprising test: Vozinha, Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalie

World CupLionel Messi faces a surprising test: Vozinha, Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalie In the round of 32, Messi and Argentina were pitted against Cape Verde in what was billed as a David vs. Goliath matchup. Messi scored a goal, but Vozinha made his share of saves, too. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha saves a free-kick from Argentina's Lionel Messi on Friday, July 3. Rebecca Blackwell / AP Photo/Rebecca BlackwellShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 3, 2026, 8:26 PM EDTBy Tim Rohan and Rohan NadkarniSince this World Cup began, how many people have learned about Cape Verde, the small nation off the west coast of Africa? In its opening match, Cape Verde introduced itself with a draw against mighty Spain. Then it recorded another against Uruguay, and another against Saudi Arabia, making it the smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup’s knockout round.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Its reward? A date with Argentina in the round of 32. The Cape Verde vs. Argentina match was billed as a re-imagining of David vs. Goliath. It marked the largest discrepancy in world rankings between two teams in the knockout round ever. But as the game unfolded Friday night, the game really boiled to a contest between two individual players.Argentina’s 39-year-old living legend Lionel Messi vs. Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha.Messi struck first. In the 29th minute, Argentina sent a pass toward the net, as Messi beat the defense with an incredible first step. He settled the ball with a gentle touc and then poked the ball into the upper part of the net, before Vozinha really knew what happened.That was Messi’s seventh goal of the tournament and his 20th overall in World Cup play, the most in history — extending the record he set earlier this tournament. Messi started this World Cup with a hat trick against Algeria, then followed with two more goals against Austria and another against Jordan for good...