2026 World Cup, an embarrassing statistic: Vozinha outperforms Cristiano Ronaldo

According to an analysis reported by L’Équipe, a curious statistic has emerged from the 2026 World Cup that has quickly made the rounds in the international sports media and which, in the original article, is presented with a rather ironic tone toward Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite scoring three goals in the tournament, the Portuguese star (41) has, surprisingly, managed zero successful dribbles since the round of 16. This figure stands in stark contrast to his offensive performance, which already included a goal in the knockout stage against Croatia on a penalty kick.

What’s making headlines, above all, is the comparison with an unexpected player. Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha, in fact, ranks ahead of Ronaldo in this specific statistic, having completed one successful dribble during the tournament. The incident dates back to the match against Argentina, which ended 3-2 after extra time. In the opening minutes of the match, under pressure from Lautaro Martínez, the 40-year-old goalkeeper managed to shake off the opponent’s pressure with a feint and a touch of the foot, getting past the Argentine forward before restarting the play. This technical move was officially recorded as a successful dribble in the match statistics.

It is precisely this statistic—seemingly marginal but symbolically curious—that sparked the comparison highlighted by L’Équipe, which points out how a goalkeeper eliminated from the tournament manages to rank “ahead” of one of the greatest strikers in recent history in a statistic as specific as it is unusual. Beyond the numerical aspect, the French newspaper nevertheless highlights the central role played by Vozinha in this World Cup. The Cape Verdean goalkeeper has, in fact, distinguished himself with numerous decisive saves—including against Lionel Messi and his teammates—becoming one of the tournament’s most surprising standout players despite his national team’s elimination by Argentina in extra time.