After receiving widespread acclaim around the world thanks to his brilliance with the Cape Verde national team in the 2026 World Cup, goalkeeper Vozinha received a different kind of honor: his name was given to a newly discovered species of marine mollusk, found by Spanish biologist Jesús Ortea in the Caribbean Sea.

The veteran goalkeeper, aged 40, bears the real name 'Josimar José Évora Dias', but he chose 'Vozinha' on his jersey in memory of his late grandmother.

Ortea named the newly discovered creature 'Aldisa vozinhia', pointing to the prominent role played by the goalkeeper, and noting that the red color of the creature symbolizes Vozinha's achievement against Spain and his great performance in the 0-0 draw in the first round of the 2026 World Cup, according to the BBC.

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Vozinha contributed to Cape Verde obtaining its first ever World Cup point, before the team continued its journey to the round of 32, where it exited the tournament with an honorable 3-2 defeat after extra time against defending champion Argentina.

Cape Verde is the second smallest country to reach the World Cup finals.

Vozinha's brilliance led to a huge leap in his popularity, with his Instagram followers rising from 50,000 to 17.4 million.

Ortea, an honorary professor at the University of Oviedo and recipient of the Order of Merit from Cape Verde in 2023, is known for his passion for marine biology and football, and has previously named creatures after players, including Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas.