For di second round of 2026 World Cup, Argentina bin face Cabo Verde for Miami. Di match bin dey hot, and for extra time, Argentina bin lead 2-1. But den Cabo Verde player Sidny Lopes Cabral, wey wear number 13, bin collect ball for left side and fire golaço from outside di box. Di ball bin enter net, make score 2-2, and di whole stadium bin dey shout.
After di goal, Lopes Cabral bin run go di stands for Hard Rock Stadium. E bin look for one woman wey wear im jersey, and e bin hug am. Di woman na Jayley da Cruz, im girlfriend. She bin dey follow am for di whole tournament, and she don dey post updates for social media. After di draw with Spain, she bin write ‘História feita’ meaning ‘History made’. And after di draw with Uruguay, where Cabo Verde score dia first World Cup goals, she bin post photo with am and say ‘Muito orgulhosa’ – ‘Very proud’.
Before di World Cup, Dutch media Twee bin do report about Lopes Cabral family wey dey prepare to travel to United States. Di report bin show say im mother Teresa carry jersey of all clubs wey e don play for, plus Cabo Verde flag, wey she say she go wave if im son score. Di report also bin mention say Jayley and di family dey call am every day during preparation, and di player bin dey focus for di historic debut of di country.
Lopes Cabral bin born for Rotterdam, Netherlands. E get 23 years and bin play for Benfica until June 2026, before e move to Trabzonspor for Turkey. E start im career for Twente for 2020, den e go Helsingborg for Sweden, and later play for clubs for Germany and Portugal. E be defender – center back or full back – and e dey score goals sometimes. Im best scoring season bin for Estrela da Amadora for 2025, where e score five goals for 15 matches. Dat make Benfica under José Mourinho sign am.
For February 2026, while e dey play for Benfica against Real Madrid for Champions League, im teammate Gianluca Prestianni bin cover im mouth to direct racist insults at Vinicius Júnior. After di match, Lopes Cabral bin ask for Vinicius jersey. Di request bin make some Benfica fans wey support Prestianni insult and threaten am. Di jersey swap neva happen. Dis event bin lead to ‘Lei Vini Jr.’ for FIFA, wey say any player wey cover im mouth during field argument go see red card.
Lopes Cabral bin debut for Cabo Verde national team for 2023, for friendly match wey Algeria win 5-1. Before di golaço against Argentina, im only international goal bin for 1-1 draw against Malaysia for friendly last year.
