‘Messi hugged me said…,’ Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha reveals chat with Argentine superstar
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Messi hugged me said…,’ Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha reveals chat with Argentine superstar")
‘Messi hugged me and said…’ Vozinha reveals post-match chat with ARG superstar Photograph: (X)
Cape Verde keeper Vozinha reveals what Lionel Messi told him during their emotional post-match embrace after Argentina's dramatic 3-2 World Cup win.
Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper from Cape Verde, captured the world's attention following a string of historic performances for the World Cup debutants. Not only did he deny teams like Spain and Saudi Arabia the chance to score against Cape Verde, but he also made the defending champions Argentina wait for a win until the very end. His miraculous efforts earned him praise from across the globe and from Lionel Messi, who hugged him after their Round of 32 match, which Argentina won 3-2.
Although Vozinha conceded three goals against Messi’s Argentina, he did his best to deny them several more. Messi, who was upbeat about increasing his already leading tally (7) throughout the game, failed to breach Vozinha’s defence at least on two more occasions. He, however, contributed with a direct pass from the corner, which was converted into the winning goal.
This pulsating Round of 32 fixture had everything – drama, action, goals, a comeback and a perfect ending, but the moment wasn’t even captured on camera -- a hug between two match winners.
While Vozinha took to his social media handles to thank his fans and everyone involved for making Cape Verde the story of this tournament, he also revealed what Messi said to him.
"I went up to Messi after the game. He hugged me and said, 'You are great. Your people should be proud of you.' That was incredible for me," Vozinha revealed while recalling the emotional meeting between the two.
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"Hearing words like that from someone like Leo Messi means a lot to me. I thanked him and said, 'Thank you, Leo. You are the best,' Vozinha added.
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‘Messi hugged me and said…’ Vozinha reveals post-match chat with ARG superstar Photograph: (X)
The Cape Verde captain also revealed that he asked Messi for his shirt.
"I asked if we could swap shirts. Leo said he was going to give it to me in the tunnel after the interviews," he recalled. "Moments like these remain engraved in your heart forever."
The two teams, however, will walk different paths. While Argentina qualified for the Round of 16, where they will face Egypt for a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals, Cape Verde will exit the tournament with their heads held high.
