'The money we have to pay for the visa...' - US responds to Cabo Verde goalkeeper’s tearful FIFA World Cup appeal

Making their debut in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Cabo Verde made everyone take notice when they held European champions and former world champions Spain to a goalless draw at the Atlanta Stadium in Texas a couple of nights ago. Among the architects of Cabo Verde's historic first-ever World Cup point was 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who single-handedly denied Spain with as many as seven saves during the entire 90 minutes.

Vozinha's show under the bar made him an instant sensation, especially on social media, with his Instagram followers skyrocketing to an astonishing 11.4 million, which was 50,000 just before the start of the game. Despite all the madness and spotlight, Vozinha was sad that he couldn't bring his mother to watch the FIFA World Cup in the United States.

According to Voiznha, the bond payments for a US visa are very high and he couldn't afford that for his mother. "She didn’t manage to be here because of the visa … the money we have to pay for the visa,” Vozinha told the media. “We didn’t manage on time, and I would like her to be here,” he added.

Following Vozinha's public statement, the US State Department is trying to get his mother to fly to the FIFA World Cup 2026 to watch her son play, a CNN report said. Cabo Verde is among the 50 nations whose citizens are required to pay a bond of $15,000 to enter the American shore, the report further said.

What did the US State Department say?

According to the US State Department, there was no record of a visa request from Vozinha's mother. “The US Department of State has no record of this individual applying for a visa. All relatives of players are eligible for visa bond waivers, and the Department is actively reaching out to this player’s family to assist with visa services,” a State Department official told CNN.

The report also stated that it has been learned that Vozinha's mother currently doesn't have an active passport either and is in the process of obtaining one. On its website, the State Department clearly stated who would be eligible for a waiver.

“The bond requirement will be waived for athletes and team members – including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives – who are nationals of countries that are competing in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and demonstrate that they meet all requirements for the visa,” read a section on the State Department's website.

A game of social media at World Cup

Spain, one of the World Cup favourites, were widely expected to cruise past the tournament debutants. But La Roja could not find a way past Vozinha and a stubborn defence that had an answer to everything Spain's superstars threw at them.

A similar case to Vozinha's virality happened last month with New Zealand defender Tim Payne, after an Argentine influencer called on his followers to make the little-known player a "hero" of the World Cup.

El Scarso, a soccer influencer also known as Valen Scarsini, identified the 32-year-old Payne as the least-known player at the World Cup based on his small social media following.

Payne had around 4,700 followers on Instagram before being singled out by El Scarso. That number quickly rose to more than a million. He had nearly 6 million followers on Tuesday.

Get all updates from FIFA World Cup 2026 here, along with FIFA World Cup 2026 Complete Schedule and FIFA World Cup 2026 Points Table.