40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha turns in a spectacular performance in his World Cup debut

ATLANTA (AP) — It took Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha all of his 40 years on Earth to make his World Cup debut.

The long, long wait was worth every fleeting second.

Vozinha recorded seven saves Monday, holding Spain’s star-studded lineup to a shocking 0-0 draw. The veteran keeper was everywhere as the Spanish team and its fans became increasingly frustrated, despite dominating possession and unleashing 27 shots. Not even the second-half entrance of young superstar Lamine Yamal could crack the code to get past Vozinha and the Cape Verde defense.

As the final whistle blew, Vozinha hunched over near his net and cried before being embraced by his teammates. Cape Verde, in its first-ever World Cup match, had gotten a point against Spain, the 2010 champion and one of the tournament favorites this year.

Vozinha said he was overcome by emotions thinking about his loved ones who were unable to see his finest performance: his grandparents who had raised him, and his mother. His grandparents died a few years ago. And his mother had been unable to gather the money in time to secure a visa to enter the U.S., Vozinha said.

Cape Verde is among 50 countries whose citizens face bonds of up to $15,000 to secure a U.S. visa, part of President Donald Trump's broader crackdown on travelers from countries that officials said had high rates of visa overstays. The Trump administration last month suspended the requirement for ticket-holders from Cape Verde and four other World Cup nations, but critics said it was too late for many fans.

Vozinha's performance was a culmination of a career that didn’t even start at the professional level until Vozinha made his debut at the age of 25 for Angolan club Progresso. Since then, he’s had stops in Moldova, Cyprus, Slovakia and Portugal, where he currently plays for Chaves in the Portuguese second division.

He joined the national team in 2012 and at times, Vozinha said, he thought about retiring from the national team, but he “continued because of this dream.”

“I work all my life for this, for this moment, for this dream," Vozinha said. “A lot of generations in the past (dreamed of) this day but they did not achieve. And now the dream comes true.”

The word “vozinha” is Portuguese for “little grandmother,” and the goalkeeper said he was given the nickname by older kids who would beat him on the soccer field and then laugh, saying he was going home to complain to his grandparents. Years later, he took on the nickname after someone else on his club also had the same first name, Josimar.

These days, Cape Verde defender Steven Moreira said he and his teammates like to tease Vozinha about his age. He said he was proud of the keeper, calling him a “big legend” who had a “crazy game” and showed that age doesn’t matter.

Fans across the world noticed, too: Vozinha's following on Instagram exploded from around 50,000 people to more than 2.4 million a few hours after the match.

“He lives and breathes Cape Verde,” said defender Pico Lopes, who noted Vozinha can come across as a strict teammate during practice. “He’s always on us to keep us on time. But that’s what he does. He pushes us to be better. And you saw it today — he leads by example.”

The spelling of Lamine Yamal's name has been corrected.

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) and Deroy Duarte (14) celebrate a tie during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha reacts during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) makes a save during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha celebrates as holds the flag of his country after the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, left, reacts after the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Steve Harvey believes his decades of success as an entertainer, motivational speaker and author are blessings from God and connections to his philanthropy.

“The more God trusts you, the more he will bless you, but he has to trust you with what he’s going to give,” Harvey told The Associated Press after a recent appearance at the Social Innovation Summit in Atlanta. “And a part of what he is going to give to you is going to require that you take a portion of it and return the favor.”

Zeev Klein, CEO of Landmark Ventures and founder and curator of the Social Innovation Summit, said Harvey’s message is an important one at a time when we face so many urgent challenges.

“Steve has an extraordinary ability to meet the moment with honesty, empathy, and clarity,” Klein said. “He doesn’t just speak to an audience, he connects people in a way that moves conversations forward.”

The longtime host of “Family Feud” and star of numerous movies and TV shows, Harvey takes giving back very seriously, especially through The Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation, which he started with his wife. And he has made sure that his children also take philanthropy very seriously.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

I think I got that from my mother. She always raised me to believe that God blesses you to become a blessing. You have to give to people without expecting anything in return. It’s your job. When you give to somebody you don’t have the right to make the determination what they need it for. (People say,) “He ain’t gonna do nothing but buy some beer. He ain’t gonna do nothing but get drunk. He gonna get high.” That ain’t your business, right? If you do it with the intent to help, the reward is given back to you.

People who don’t know what it is like to be without, they come from a different perspective. They don’t know what it is to grovel. So, we have to start developing some type of understanding with one another. OK, you may not have grown up poor, but suppose you learn what a lot of poor people go through? That would eventually have an effect on you if you were human. But when you don’t listen to them, you don’t want to hear their story, then you keep acting as though you’ve been rich the whole time. That’s the problem we have today.

Most decent parents want their children to live better than them. My father wanted me to have a better life than him. They didn’t want me to struggle like they did. I did that for my kids. None of my kids really had to grow up poor. Each one of my children had a room with a bathroom in it. Each one had their own desk and computer. I gave them a lot. And sometimes I overdid it, especially the girls. Lord, I just don’t know how to tell my daughters, “No.” That’s my problem. But I taught them: You don’t have the right to think you are better than anybody else. You just hit the jackpot, I’m your daddy. That’s your black card. You really don’t deserve nothing you have. I taught them all this: “Justice is when you get what you deserve. Mercy is when you don’t get what your deserve. But grace is when get what don’t you deserve.” My children were born into grace. They didn’t have to work to have. I did all of that. That’s how I raised them and that’s why they have good heads on their shoulders.

It’s funny you asked me that because I’ve had to change the messaging over the years. It’s a different boy that comes to this camp now. And I guess the only way I can tell it to you is just that it’s a softer boy that’s being raised now. We used to go right into the tough stuff. Now we gotta ease them off the bus. I gotta get up on the bus and give them a little speech. Over the years, we’ve had to taper this so much. It’s a softer camp now. But for the five days I got them, we still show them how life really works. You don’t get participation trophies in life. If you miss the promotion in corporate America, they don’t just give you the check anyway.

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

FILE - Host Steve Harvey speaks during the 70th Miss Universe pageant, Dec. 13, 2021, in Eilat, Israel. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)