A new species of sea slug has been named after Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, according to the BBC, though the small red mollusc was discovered by biologist Jesus Ortea in the Caribbean and now carries the name Aldisa vozinha.

A Celebration of Performance and Popularity

Vozinha, the 40-year-old star of Cape Verde’s World Cup campaign, has been honored for his global recognition following the tournament. Cape Verde. The second smallest nation to ever reach the World Cup finals, came through the group stage and challenged holders Argentina before exiting the competition with a 3-2 extra-time defeat in the last 32.

Before the defeat. Vozinha’s heroics earned Cape Verde their first World Cup point in a goalless draw with European champions Spain, this performance led to a surge in Vozinha’s popularity, with his Instagram followers increasing from 50,000 to 17.4 million. His social media growth outpaced that of athletes such as NFL legend Tom Brady.

Recognition of Vozinha’s ‘Prominent Role’

In a report outlining his discovery. Ortea said he wanted to mark Vozinha’s “prominent role” and noted the connection to a team nicknamed La Roja—The Red One. The red color of the dedicated species is a reminder of Vozinha’s feat, according to the report.

Jesus Ortea, a professor emeritus at the University of Oviedo, was awarded a Medal of Merit by the island nation in 2023 for his work in the waters around Cape Verde. This is not the first time Ortea has combined his passion for football with his scientific work.

Prior Honors for Footballers

Previously, Ortea named a discovery found in Costa Rica after Keylor Navas, the country’s former goalkeeper who also played for Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain, and Nottingham Forest. Another discovery was named after Quini, a former striker for Spanish side Sporting Gijon, whose colors matched the tiny creature.