Read for 2 minutesUpdated: June 18, 2026 12:16 PM IST
On Monday night in Atlanta, Vozinha made seven saves to hold Spain to a goalless draw in Cape Verde’s first World Cup match. He cried the whole time. His mother was not there.
Ana Candida Evora could not travel from São Vicente because she could not afford the bond payment. The Trump administration requires Cape Verdean citizens to pay up to $15,000 – under rules implemented in January – before considering a US visa.
Washington dropped the bond requirement for World Cup ticket holders last month, but by then, Wozinha told reporters, it was too late. “The money for the visa, we didn’t manage on time, and I want her,” he said.
By Tuesday morning, three things had happened simultaneously.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking him to personally ensure that Vozinha’s mother can attend Cape Verde’s next game against Uruguay in Miami on Sunday. “No mother should pass up the opportunity to see her child make history,” Jeffries wrote on X, according to The Hill.
A crowdfunding campaign to “Help Our Goalkeeper Wozinha Bring His Mother to the USA” passed its goal by Tuesday evening, Newsweek reported.
And the State Department said it had no record of a visa application being filed for Evora and confirmed it was actively reaching out to help the family. All relatives of the players are eligible for a visa bond waiver – a provision that did not reach her in time for Monday’s match.
There’s another complication: According to CNN, Evora doesn’t currently hold an active passport and is in the process of getting one. Cape Verde will face Uruguay on Sunday in Miami.
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It is reported that Vozinha’s Instagram followers went from 40,000 to almost 6 million within hours of full time. The goalkeeper didn’t expect to play at all – he almost retired before teammates persuaded him to stay for the World Cup. He turned 40 a week before the start of the tournament.