Cape Verde created more World Cup history when Sidny Lopes Cabral won the public vote for goal of the tournament, claiming the award for his stunning curling shot against Argentina in the round of 32.
Lopes Cabral's effort, which arced into the far top corner of the Argentina net, tied the defending champions 2-2 in extra time of their thrilling knockout-stage clash in Miami Gardens. Although Cape Verde eventually fell 3-2, the strike stood out among the 308 goals scored at the tournament.
The forward's goal beat a shortlist of 11 other contenders, including Eldor Shomurodov's delicate lob for Uzbekistan against Congo and Wilson Isidor's powerful rising shot for Haiti against Morocco. FIFA opened the public vote to fans before closing it on Monday.
The celebration became instant World Cup folklore. Lopes Cabral broke free of teammates reaching to grab him and climbed into the tribune to hug his girlfriend and search for his mother. "Before the game, I'd told my mom and my girlfriend that if I scored, I'd run over to them," he said. "When I got there, I saw my mom crying. She hadn't even realized I was right there. Everyone was busy tending to her because she had fainted when I scored."
Cape Verde defied both World Cup finalists across its four games. Goalkeeper Vozinha produced a standout display in the opener, keeping a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against eventual champion Spain.
Sources
- [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-best-goal-cape-verde-cabral-fc1fb275547af731b19b3d90fcf37445)
