Nigmetulin talks about the Cabo Verde goalkeeper: I have never seen anything like this in a World Cup before - Championship

Former Russian goalkeeper Ruslan Nigmetullin expressed his opinion on the performance of the 40-year-old goalkeeper, Josimar Vozinha, in the first match of the group stage in the 2026 World Cup, which brought him together with the Spanish national team. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.

“No one is remembered in this World Cup like Fouzinha - he is like a 'grandmother',” said Nigmetulin. “It was decisive in stopping Spain with a weak team like Cabo Verde. Fouzinha played a big role, but if we look at the level of the top goalkeepers, the level of performance in this match was above average. There was some luck, but I cannot say that there was extraordinary skill. It was a beautiful story, a miracle. As a follower, I can say that this is the most important discovery, but as a professional, I evaluate things from Where professional quality.

Until the age of 40, this player played only for mediocre teams, and began his professional career at the age of 25. His prodigy played a great role. He now has over 10 million followers on social media, which is an amazing thing in the age of media. I think because of his age, he will consider ending his career and can live as a blogger. I have never seen anything like this in a World Cup. However, there have been instances in the past where a mediocre team was able to overtake a top team thanks to a great performance from a goalkeeper. Sometimes it happens that a goalkeeper shines on a certain day and it is difficult for him to score goals.

What indicates that Vosenha did not play with big teams until the age of forty? “It indicates that this young man jumped beyond his abilities thanks to what he did to help his humble team not collapse in front of the Spaniards.”

Nigmetullin's statements came during an interview with "Championship" correspondent, Igor Kabak.

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