On June 22nd Beijing time, the topics # Fode Corner Gate will receive non renewal notice # and # Cape Verde draws two world champions # successively topped the hot search rankings, ranking first and second.

In the group stage, this new football team first drew 0-0 with the 2010 World Cup champion Spain, and then drew 2-2 with the two time World Cup champion Uruguay, continuously drawing with two former world championship teams. With incredible performances, they became the most outstanding dark horse of this World Cup!

01. Two draws, let the world rediscover a country

Cape Verde has a land area of 4033 square kilometers and a population of 546000. In China, this is just the size of an ordinary prefecture level city. But it is this African island nation, which was previously ranked outside of the 180th place in FIFA rankings, that has continuously drawn with Spain and Uruguay on the World Cup stage - two teams that have won five World Cup championships together.

After the match, the title of the Spanish media Marca only had one sentence: "Cape Verde, what exactly is it

The answer is: a country with more volcanoes than professional players. There are less than 5000 registered players nationwide, and the monthly salary of local league players is equivalent to RMB 1000 to 2000. Their head coach also serves as a physical education teacher while coaching amateur teams. Many players on the team play in lower level European leagues, and some even play in the third level league of Portugal.

But it is this team that has failed 27 shots from Spain and left Uruguay's luxurious attacking line without a single goal (except for one penalty and one follow-up shot).

Football has never been an arithmetic problem. The paper parameters of value, ranking, and population base are far less realistic than a clean tackle and timely filling of positions in a 90 minute game.

And the background of all these miracles is even more touching - Cape Verde has only 540000 people nationwide, which is less than the population of a Tiantongyuan community in Beijing.

02. Two time world champion saved, but goalkeeper Wozniacki lost his job

After two upsets, a 40 year old unemployed goalkeeper stood at the forefront of the storm.

Volzinia, worth 50000 euros, received a departure notice from the club just a week before the start of the World Cup. Portuguese Ligue 1 team Xaves told him that they will not renew their contract at the end of the season, citing the need for younger goalkeepers to compete in the Portuguese Super League.

He is 17 years older than his competitors in the team. Last season, he made 19 league appearances, conceded 23 goals, and won 6 clean sheets. This data is not a disaster, but for a team aspiring to upgrade, handing over the door to a 40 year old veteran is indeed a difficult multiple-choice question.

So, a 'near unemployed player' stepped onto the World Cup stage with his last contract.

In his debut match against Spain, he made 7 saves, including 3 close range shots from within the penalty area. In the 83rd minute, the Spanish forward broke into the penalty area with a one-on-one attack, and Wozniacki launched a block, using his chest to block the necessary goal. After the game, the overall score was 9.1, the best of the game.

In the second match against Uruguay, he made 5 more saves, including a header from Suarez in the 72nd minute.

Two games, 12 saves, 0 mistakes.

According to official statistics from the World Cup, Volzina is the goalkeeper with the most saves in the first round of the group stage and the highest success rate of saves -100%. Faced with 12 shots from Spain and Uruguay, he did not allow any sports goals to cross his ten finger barrier.

On social media, the name "Volzinia" topped the trending list, with its fan base skyrocketing from less than 50000 to 14.6 million, a growth of over 200 times in just five days.

And off the field, the 'non renewal notice' remains valid. After June 30th, he became a free agent.

Netizens joked, "A goalkeeper who threw Spain and Uruguay into a rage has actually lost his job

However, some people have put forward another perspective: "With traffic, there is commercial value. Don't worry about a celebrity with traffic

03. In the era of traffic, being seen is itself a form of hard currency

This perspective hits the core logic of current sports business.

Woznia's agent revealed in an interview with the Portuguese newspaper "Record" that he has received multiple business cooperation invitations during the World Cup, including from Brazil, China, and the Middle East. People's interest in him goes beyond football itself, this is a story about perseverance and miracles

The cruelty of competitive sports lies in the fact that age is an irreversible physical law. A 40 year old goalkeeper is difficult to become a long-term choice for a top tier team. It makes sense from a competitive logic for Xavi to give up on him - even if he scores a clean sheet against Spain, the club still faces 38 league matches.

But another logic in the business world is working: attention itself is an asset.

The publicity generated by the two draws in Cape Verde, the dramatic arc of Woznia's rise from unemployment to World Cup trophy, and the attention of 14.6 million fans - these elements combined form a story IP of great commercial value.

In the era of traffic, brand owners not only purchase players' competitive abilities, but also their promotional potential. A 40 year old goalkeeper from a small country with a population of 540000, who lost his job on the spot but changed his fate unexpectedly - this narrative itself is more penetrating than most commercials.

So there's no need to worry about him. Even without a next professional contract, his commercial value far exceeds his net worth of 50000 euros. MCN organizations are already discussing the possibility of signing him on Chinese social media platforms, and Brazilian sports brands have also extended olive branches.

This era will not disappoint those who are seen.

From a poor teenager on the island of S ã o Vicente, to a football wanderer who travels through Cape Verde, Angola, the Czech Republic, Moldova, and Cyprus, and then to standing on the World Cup stage at the age of 40- the story of Volhynia tells everyone that the ultimate charm of competitive sports never belongs solely to the wealthy.

Cape Verde, which belongs to 540000 people, belongs to the 40 year old goalkeeper who is about to lose his job, and also belongs to every ordinary person who is still persevering.

He may never have the next World Cup again.

But the whole world has already remembered his name.

*The image is from the internet and has been hacked and deleted