Vozinha becomes a star after Spain match as Cape Verde goalkeeper gains over 2 million followers

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has become one of the biggest stories of the World Cup after the sensational draw against Spain.

The 40-year-old produced an outstanding performance against one of the tournament favorites, making 7 saves and helping his national team hold Spain to a 0-0 draw. After the final whistle, Josimar Dias, better known as Vozinha, was named Player of the Match.

But the story continued after the game. Before the match, Vozinha had around 50,000 followers on social media. Shortly after Cape Verde’s stunning result, that number rose to 2.2 million. A journalist showed the goalkeeper the figure after the match, and he could hardly believe what had happened.

The sudden rise in popularity began during the broadcast in Brazil. A commentator asked viewers to follow the Cape Verde goalkeeper, and the audience immediately responded. As a result, a player who had previously been known mostly to fans of his national team became a real star for millions of football supporters.

Vozinha was born in Cape Verde, but now the whole of Brazil is following him. For the 40-year-old goalkeeper, this is the first World Cup of his career, although he has already made 89 appearances for the national team.

At club level, Vozinha played for Portuguese second-tier side Chaves, while earlier in his career he also played in Slovakia and Cyprus. His contract with the club has already expired, and it is possible that after the World Cup he may consider retirement. However, after such a performance, interest from other teams could certainly grow.

Stories like this make football special. And expanding the World Cup to 48 teams only increases the chances of seeing moments like these — when players from smaller national teams get the opportunity to introduce themselves to the whole world.