The look on Sidny Lopes Cabral's face said it all. When the clock reached the 102nd minute in extra time against Argentina, the left-back knew he had produced something extraordinary.
Cutting inside Alexis Mac Allister before curling a perfectly placed right-footed strike into the top corner beyond Emiliano Martínez, Cabral levelled the score at 2-2 and gave Cabo Verde supporters emotions they had never imagined they would experience against the FIFA World Cup™ defending champions.
"It was simply surreal," he told FIFA.
The beautifully-crafted move piled the pressure on Argentina, but Lionel Messi and his team-mates eventually came out on top after a deflected Cristian Romero header restored their lead eight minutes later. Even so, Cabral's stunning strike secured its place in FIFA World Cup™ history, earning him the award after seeing off 11 other nominees in the fans' vote.
"It's an enormous honour and the kind of recognition every player dreams of. I'm incredibly grateful for everyone who voted my goal as the best of the tournament,” said the Trabzonspor defender.
"Now the challenge is to keep working to score more goals like that and, above all, to help both my club and country to win matches. Receiving this award is a very special honour for me."
At just 23 years of age, Cabral has plenty of time ahead of him to continue shining for Cabo Verde. And while the finish against Argentina was spectacular, it was not entirely without precedent.
"It was the second time I'd scored a goal like that. Funnily enough, just a few minutes earlier I'd had a very similar opportunity from a set-piece in almost the same area of the pitch. So it wasn't completely new to me. But scoring a goal of that quality on a stage like the World Cup makes it even more special. It's a moment that will stay with me forever."
Born in Rotterdam, Cabral also attracted attention with his emotional celebration. After embracing his team-mates, he headed straight towards the stands to celebrate with his girlfriend, who was in the crowd in Miami.
"When I scored, all I wanted to do was run and celebrate. I wanted to get close to my loved ones and celebrate with my girlfriend, who has always been by my side, especially during the most difficult moments. It was indescribable. Everything seemed to happen so quickly. Even now, I still find it hard to believe," he recalled.
Cabo Verde were undoubtedly one of the standout stories of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. One of four tournament debutants, they reached the knockout stage despite being drawn alongside two former World Cup winners, Spain and Uruguay, as well as Saudi Arabia. After negotiating the group unbeaten, they pushed Argentina all the way before eventually bowing out.
"I'm very happy with what we achieved. We showed that Cabo Verde can really play,” he said. "The most rewarding thing is seeing how many more people now know about Cabo Verde after the World Cup. I feel there's a huge amount of affection for our country, our people and our players. You can't buy that kind of respect and recognition."
Although he was born in the Netherlands, Cabral's connection to Cabo Verde runs deep through his parents. Representing the country and hearing the national anthem on football's biggest stage was an emotional experience.
"At first it was difficult to believe I was really there. Once the match starts, though, all your focus is on what happens on the pitch and on winning. But representing your people, your family and your friends, while remembering everything so many people sacrificed to help us reach that stage... it's impossible to put into words," he explained.
"My parents were born in Cabo Verde and moved to the Netherlands when they were 18. I was born there and that's where I began my football journey, but I've always had a very strong connection with Cabo Verde. I go back whenever I can. I love the country and I have lots of family there. In fact, after the World Cup I spent a few days there on holiday, catching up with family, seeing friends again and visiting places that mean so much to me."
Cabo Verde stunned the football world by holding Spain to a goalless draw in their opening match. The European champions would go on to lift the trophy 40 days later, but they were unable to find a way past Bubista's well-organised defence, the inspired goalkeeping of Vozinha and the tireless work of the Blue Sharks.
"We were an extremely organised, united and disciplined team. We defended brilliantly as a collective. The players who started, those who came off the bench, the defenders, midfielders and forwards – everyone knew exactly what their role was,” said Lopes Cabral.
"We carried out our game plan perfectly and everything unfolded just as we'd planned. Looking back now, we realise we were the only team at the tournament not to concede a goal against Spain, who went on to win the tournament. That says everything about what we achieved."
The following match, a 2-2 draw with another former winner in Uruguay, confirmed that Cabo Verde belonged on the biggest stage.
"Honestly, the coach did an extraordinary job. Everything that happened on the pitch had been prepared down to the smallest detail in training. We were tactically very intelligent. Against Uruguay, I thought we deserved much more. I think a win would have been a fair result."
A further goalless draw against Saudi Arabia set up a Round-of-32 meeting with Messi's Argentina – a match destined to become part of Cabo Verde football folklore.
"We were focused much more on ourselves than on the opposition. We didn't step onto the pitch thinking about facing Messi, Enzo Fernandez or Lautaro Martinez. We respected them, but we were never afraid. We studied Argentina thoroughly and understood both their strengths and their [weaknesses]. Even in that match, I think we deserved a little more luck. We could easily have taken it to penalties," he said.
Lopes Cabral left the tournament with his social media following growing rapidly, but, more importantly, with the satisfaction of having helped put Cabo Verde on the global football map.
"That's the biggest legacy of all. Today, many more people know who we are. They know where our country is, they recognise the quality of our players and they've seen how much talent we have. But this is only the beginning,” he warned.
"A new generation is coming through, and I'm certain we'll be back stronger and even more determined to make history. We have both the ambition and the responsibility to do that. I'm incredibly happy and deeply grateful to have been part of this journey. It was an unforgettable experience that will stay with me forever. I'm immensely proud of everything we achieved together."
Sources: FIFA Official
