Cabral's Girlfriend Now in the Spotlight After His Brilliant Goal Against Argentina
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Cape Verde defender Sidny Lopes Cabral came into the spotlight after scoring a stunning goal against Argentina in the World Cup. However, it was his unique celebration that generated even more attention than the goal itself, which has now become one of the tournament's most memorable moments. The scene went massively viral on geometrical proportion om the social media.
In the Round of 32, Cape Verde produced one of the biggest surprises of the tournament by holding the world champions Argentina to a 1-1 draw in regulation time. The match then went into extra time.
After restoring parity at 2-2 in extra time, Cabral was overwhelmed with joy and ran straight into the stands to find his girlfriend, Jeily da Cruz. But she wasn't there at that moment. Security personnel, police, match officials, and even the referee urged him to return to the pitch. Argentine players watched the entire incident in astonishment, as Cabral received no card despite such a prolonged celebration.
After this dramatic celebration that lasted quite a while, Jeily da Cruz eventually arrived. The two then embraced each other. This emotional scene on the World Cup stage spread instantly across social media. Although Cabral's goal ultimately could not secure victory for Cape Verde—the match didn't go their way—he won the hearts of spectators through his goal and his extraordinary celebration.
After the match, Jeily da Cruz shared the video of Cabral's goal on her social media, writing, "I have never felt so proud in my life."
Jeily da Cruz is a content creator by profession. She holds a degree in Communication and Human Resources and is in a relationship with Cabral. Following this incident, both have seen a surge in social media followers. Jeily's followers have climbed to nearly 200,000, while Cabral's followers have exceeded 300,000.
After the match, Cabral said, "I didn't even know what I was doing at that moment. I never imagined I would score such a goal in such a tournament. We deserved a better result. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. But we will come back in four years."
Although he plays for Cape Verde, Sidney Lopes Cabral was born in the Netherlands. Because of his unique celebration—running into the stands to find his girlfriend after scoring—many on social media have dubbed him "The Last Romantic."
