Madrid: Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha received a unique honor following his outstanding performance at the 2026 World Cup when a Spanish researcher named a newly discovered species of marine mollusk after him.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Spanish researcher Jesºs Ortilla chose the name Aldisa Vozinhai for a small, red, four-millimeter-long sea snail found in the Caribbean Sea near Cuba and Guadeloupe. Ortilla explained that his choice was not only related to the veteran goalkeeper's brilliance at the World Cup, but also to his special connection to the Cape Verde archipelago, where he had previously received the Order of Environmental Merit in 2023 for his contributions to the study of marine biodiversity in the archipelago.

This wasn't the first time Spanish researcher Jesºs Ortilla had done this; he previously named another type of marine mollusk after Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas in 2019.

The 2026 World Cup saw a remarkable performance from Vozinha, who became the oldest player to represent Cape Verde in their first-ever World Cup appearance at the age of 40. He kept clean sheets against Spain and Saudi Arabia and delivered an exceptional performance against Argentina, despite his team's elimination in the Round of 32.

The veteran goalkeeper also gained global recognition during the tournament, with his Instagram following skyrocketing from 50,000 to 28.6 million, making him one of the most prominent figures of the 2026 World Cup, both on and off the field.