Vozinha and Lopes star as Cape Verde shock Spain

Cape Verde hold Spain, a punter loses a million

Your Blue Sharks walked into their first World Cup match and did the unthinkable: a draw with Spain (2). One bettor put a million dollars on Spain to win. That money is gone (2).

Vozinha breaks the internet

José Vozinha gained over 7 million Instagram followers after the match (4). His first coach in Portugal still cannot believe the longevity: "Nobody gives him 40 years," he said (5). Vozinha usually spends his summers teaching volleyball to kids back home, but that is on hold. Cape Verde are at a World Cup (Reddit, 1).

Pico Lopes and the family road trip

Dublin-born Roberto "Pico" Lopes anchored the backline that neutralised Spain (3). His wife Leah had the line of the tournament so far: "We're going to get a camper van and travel through the States," she said, holding their seven-month-old son Diego. "He probably won't remember it, but we'll be able to look back on the photos and videos and say that he was able to watch his daddy in the World Cup" (3).

The Rodri response

Spain were not happy. Rodri voiced his dissatisfaction, and a Cape Verde player fired back: "It's normal to feel dissatisfied" (1).

Yeremy Pino never saw the pitch

One small oddity on Spain's side: Yeremy Pino, the Villarreal winger, did not appear against Cape Verde. No injury reported, just unused (6).

Fan-reaktioner

Cape Verdean fans are riding the high of a historic night, but also finding the small human stories that make this squad special. The revelation that Vozinha spends his off-seasons as a volleyball instructor for kids has only deepened the affection, more than a few comments noted that the kids can wait, because their teacher is busy at a World Cup. The Vozinha volleyball story on r/soccer