Cape Verde produced a stunning performance against Spain in Group H of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, holding the European champions to a historic 0-0 draw at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday, June 15. The Blue Sharks defied expectations, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha making several superb saves to secure a point against one of the tournament favorites.
Player Salaries and Market Values
According to Transfermarkt, Vozinha, who was named man of the match, plays for Liga Portugal 2 side Chaves and has a market value of approximately $57,000. Left-back Sidny Lopes Cabral recently left Benfica and is set to join Trabzonspor alongside Wagner Pina, with an expected annual salary of around $1.49 million in Turkey.
Logan Costa is Cape Verde's most valuable player. The center-back, who missed much of the season due to an ACL injury, was a substitute against Spain. He reportedly earns about $55,000 per week, excluding bonuses, per Sofascore.
Roberto Lopes, who received an invitation to represent Cape Verde through LinkedIn, started in defense. The Shamrock Rovers player earns approximately $2,065 per week. Right-back Wagner Pina, an unused substitute against Spain, reportedly earns around $27,500 per week at Trabzonspor.
Captain Ryan Mendes earns about $358,000 per year from his contract with Igdır in Turkey's second division. The 36-year-old played the full 90 minutes in the historic draw.
CAF Congratulates Cape Verde
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) sent a message to Cape Verde after their impressive debut, holding Spain to a 0-0 draw. The third smallest country in the 2026 World Cup went into the tournament with odds stacked against them but came out unscathed.
