The goal of Sydney Lopez Cabral, the star of the Cape Verde national team, won the award for the best goal in the 2026 World Cup, after he dazzled the fans with an exceptional technical shot during the match against Argentina in the round of 32, to reserve his place among the most beautiful goals of the tournament.
The goal came after Cabral manipulated the Argentine defender Alexis McAllister with a distinctive dribble, before firing a powerful shot that reached the top corner of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, tying the score 2-2 in the match. It was characterized by excitement and extended to extra time.
The goal of the Cape Verde player received the highest percentage of votes from the fans, surpassing the goals of Uzbekistan Eldor Shomurodov and Haitian Wilson Isidore, who came in second and third place in the list of the most beautiful goals of the 2026 World Cup.
With this coronation, Cabral joined the list of names that won the Best Goal Award in the World Cup, alongside prominent stars such as Maxi Rodriguez, And Diego Forlan, James Rodriguez, Benjamin Pavard, and Richarlison.
Cabral commented on his goal, saying: “After I passed the defender, I felt that the moment was right to shoot, so I said to myself: Let’s try.” He added: “I am good at shooting with both feet, and when I saw the space in front of me, I aimed for the upper corner with full force.”
He talked about the moment the ball entered the net, saying: “When I raised my head and saw the ball heading to the upper corner, I could not believe what had happened. Then I looked at my teammates and found them screaming with their hands above their heads in joy. I ran without realizing what had happened, and only after that I realized that I had scored a wonderful goal in the World Cup.”
He concluded his statements by saying: “Every player dreams of scoring in the World Cup.” The World Cup, but scoring a goal in this way and against a great team like Argentina is an indescribable feeling, and it will remain one of the most beautiful moments of my career.”
Despite being crowned with the award for the best goal in the tournament, Cabral did not succeed in leading the Cape Verdean national team to qualify, after the Argentine national team won the match with a score of 3-2 after extra time, in a confrontation that was held at the Miami Stadium with a crowd of more than 65,000 spectators in attendance.