Lopes Cabral’s curling goal against Argentina was voted the best goal of the FIFA World Cup

Cape Verde’s Sydney Lopes Cabral celebrates scoring his team’s second goal against Argentina during their World Cup Round of 32 soccer match in Miami Gardens, Florida, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo) Cape Verde added another chapter to their World Cup journey on Monday after Sidny Lopes Cabral won the public vote for goal of the tournament.Lopes Cabral earned the award for his curling strike into the top corner against Argentina during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The goal came in extra time of the Round of 32 match against Cape Verde at the Miami Gardens, drawing his side to a 2-2 draw against the defending champions. However, Argentina won the match 3-2.The 2026 edition marked Cape Verde’s first appearance at the FIFA World Cup. The African side advanced from the group stage before going out in the round of 32 against Argentina.Lopes Cabral’s effort was voted the best of the 308 goals scored during the tournament. It ended before Eldor Shomurodov’s lob for Uzbekistan against Congo and Wilson Isidor’s rising strike for Haiti against Morocco.FIFA selected 12 goals for the public vote, which ended on Monday.Lopes Cabral’s celebration also became one of the memorable moments of the tournament. After he scored, he broke away from his teammates, climbed into the stands to hug his girlfriend, then looked for his mother.“I told my mum and my girlfriend before the game that if I scored I would go to them,” he said. “When I got there, I saw my mom crying. She didn’t even realize I was right there. Everyone was looking after her because she passed out when I scored.”Their campaign began with a 0-0 draw against eventual champions Spain, with goalkeeper Vozinha playing a key role in the result.