Who is Kevin Pina? Meet the Cape Verde midfielder who scored the country''s first ever World Cup Goal
After moving to the United States with his family during childhood, there was a time when he thought his dream of becoming a professional footballer would never be realized
Photo Courtesy : Cape Verde/X
Raunak Ghosh: Shocking the football world, Cape Verde made history against South American powerhouses Uruguay during the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage with Kevin Pina etching his name in golden letters as the first player from his country to score a World Cup goal, executing a magnificent free-kick.
Kevin Pina(full name:Kevin Lenini Gonçalves Pereira de Pina) was born on January 27, 1997, in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde. The footballing journey of this six-foot-tall midfielder was far from easy.
After moving to the United States with his family during childhood, there was a time when he thought his dream of becoming a professional footballer would never be realized. However, a chance encounter with former Cape Verde captain Carlos "Kalo" Morais changed his life. That inspiration brought him back to the path of football.
After honing his skills in the youth team of the Cape Verdean club Tchadense, he made his professional debut in January 2018 with the Portuguese second-division club UD Oliveirense. He subsequently proved his mettle by playing for various clubs and eventually secured a spot at Chaves, a club in Portugal's 2nd division.
After that, Pina joined the Russian club FC Krasnodar in September 2022. Since then, he has scored 8 goals in approximately 118 matches across all competitions for the club. He was also a key member of the squad that won the Russian Premier League title—the first in Krasnodar's history—during the 2024-25 season. His current contract with the club runs until June 2027.
The midfielder made his national team debut on March 25, 2022, in a friendly match against Liechtenstein and has played over 30 international matches. In addition to scoring in the Africa Cup of Nations, the midfielder delivered an outstanding performance during the 2-1 victory over Ghana. However, the most memorable moment of his career arrived at the 2026 World Cup. by scoring Cape Verde's first-ever World Cup goal by curling a precise, long-range free-kick directly into the net against Uruguay in the 21st minute.
Cape Verde had already stunned the world by holding the reigning European champions, Spain, to a goalless draw. In that match, an extraordinary performance by 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha secured a valuable point for the team.
That single free-kick by Kevin Pina against Uruguay was more than just a goal—it marked the beginning of a new chapter in the football history of this small West African island nation. Cape Verde announced its presence on one of the world's greatest stages, with Kevin Pina at the heart of that historic moment.
