The World Cup’s first knockout stage clash between Argentina and Cape Verde will pit striker Lionel Messi, the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, and goalkeeper Vozinha, whose great performances secured the debut team’s draws against world champions Spain and Uruguay.
The meeting between the 39-year-old Albiceleste number 10 and the 40-year-old archer who became a social media sensation —both have their birthdays in June— will take place next Friday (3), at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami, at 7pm.
Throughout the almost century-old history of the FIFA (International Football Federation) national team tournament, since the first edition, in 1930, in Uruguay, great clashes between goalkeepers and attackers have been etched in the fans’ memories.
Gordon Banks’ save from Pelé’s header in the 1970 World Cup and Guillermo Ochoa’s save against Brazil in 2014 are among the performances commonly cited as the greatest by goalkeepers in World Cups.
On the forward side, Ronaldo’s two goals against German archer Oliver Kahn stand out in the 2002 final in Yokohama.
Remember some of the greatest clashes between goalkeepers and attackers in the history of the World Cup
Gordon Banks x Pele (1970)
One of the most famous duels in the history of World Cups earned the English goalkeeper the title of “save of the century”, when he managed to prevent the King of Football’s firm downward header from entering his right corner, in a duel valid for the group stage, at the Jalisco Stadium, in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The move ended up immortalized by the goalkeeper’s agility in managing to change the direction of his body and touch the ball with his right hand in time, making it bounce over the crossbar. Pelé himself later acknowledged that he celebrated the goal.
The goalkeeper was leaked in that match at the beginning of the second half, with Jairzinho finishing into the back of the net after Pelé’s header from inside the penalty area.
Ronaldo x Oliver Kahn (2002)
The German goalkeeper reached the final with high morale, considered the best in his position in the tournament and having conceded just one goal throughout the campaign until the final, with great performances against the United States and South Korea in the knockout phase.
However, he failed to score the Brazilian team’s first goal, at Yokohama Stadium, dropping the ball at Ronaldo’s feet after failing to keep out Rivaldo’s shot. He also couldn’t do anything to stop the second, in a new move that included the participation of Rivaldo, as a light screen, and ended with a placed shot from Ronaldo.
Even so, Kahn ended up being named the best player at that World Cup and is the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or in the history of the World Cup. Ronaldo came second in the award.
Guillermo Ochoa x Neymar (2014)
In his sixth World Cup in 2026, the Mexican goalkeeper with the record for participation in the tournament —alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo— is still well remembered today for his performance against Brazil 12 years ago, in the second match of the group stage, at Arena Castelão, in Fortaleza, which ended 0-0.
Ochoa managed to hold off a well-aimed header from Neymar in the first half, which even drew comparisons to the save made by Gordon Banks against Pelé.
In the second half, the goalkeeper would still save another strong shot from Neymar from inside the area, as well as another point-blank header from Thiago Silva. He was chosen as the best of the match.
Thibaut Courtois x Neymar (2018)
Real Madrid’s almost 2 meter tall (1.99m) goalkeeper was largely responsible for Brazil’s elimination in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Russia.
With the team led by Tite looking for a draw after going into half-time with a 2-0 deficit, goals from Fernandinho (own goal) and Kevin De Bruyne, Courtois made a series of important interventions throughout the second half that secured the victory. It was leaked only once, in a header from Renato Augusto.
His most remembered saves in that match came from a cross shot by Philippe Coutinho and a shot by Neymar from the edge of the penalty area looking for the left corner of the goal, in second-half stoppage time.
Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez x Randal Kolo Muani (2022)
In the decision in Qatar about four years ago between Argentina and France, in Lusail, with the match tied at 3-3, Aston Villa’s charismatic Argentine goalkeeper made a great save in extra time that took the game to a penalty shootout.
In the 123rd minute of the match, in the last play before the final whistle, the French team recovered the ball, Kolo Muani received a throw on the edge of the penalty area and came face to face with Dibu. The attacker finished strongly, looking for the right corner of the goal, but stopped in a great reflex save from the Argentine archer with his left leg.
In the penalty shootout, Martínez also saved Kingsley Coman’s shot in the right corner, and, with his provocations, managed to destabilize Aurélien Tchouaméni, who ended up shooting over the crossbar.
