Cabo Verde World Cup Star Dislikes New-Found Fame, Preferred His Old, Quiet Life
Voz-Popped - World Cup Star Misses Fame-Less Life
Vozinha has laid the claim that he preferred his life before becoming a World Cup viral sensation. The veteran goalkeeper, aged 40, became an overnight superstar after a 0-0 draw with eventual winners Spain in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Because of his performance in the game, his social media following shot from just 56,000 to well over one million whilst the match was still ongoing. At the time, the veteran stopper was a free agent after leaving Portuguese second-tier side Chaves, but landed a big move to Chilean giants Colo-Colo.
🚨🗣️ 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Vozinha admits his life has completely changed VERY NEGITAVELY since becoming one of the revelations of the 2026 World Cup. 😢
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) September 27, 2026
“I have LOST my peace and tranquillity. I don’t have privacy anymore, or at least much less than before.”
“Now when I go out or go to a… pic.twitter.com/uGQOqQB5p7
Previously an unknown within the sport, Vozinha arrived to a great deal of coverage and clamour given his now-lofty online following, but that life of new-found fame and fortune has not been smooth sailing for the Cabo Verde star.
Vozinha: "I No Longer Have any Privacy"
On his new stardom, Vozinha told The Observer: “I’ve lost my peace and tranquillity.
“I no longer have any privacy, or at least much less than I used to.
“Now I go out, I go to a restaurant, and there’s always someone who wants to take a photo with me or asks me for an autograph.
“Or, worse, someone is filming me. That’s what has changed most in my life, and I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it.”
Vozinha, who has previously played in Moldova, Cyprus and Slovakia, is not particularly comfortable with his status – having now reached a staggering 28.4 million Instagram followers after going down as a modern-day World Cup legend.
He added: “A lot of people want to be famous and have a public profile, but they only see the positive side of that reality.
“To be honest, if I were offered the life I have today or the life I had before, I’d choose the one I had before.”
¡¡EL EFECTO MUNDIAL SE ESTÁ APAGANDO!! 🧤😬🇨🇻
— Motivaciones Fútbol (@MotivacionesF) September 26, 2026
🚨 Informa Nahuel Ferreira que a Vozinha le duró poco el impacto de su actuación en el Mundial.
Sus pocas apariciones con Colo-Colo dejaron MÁS DUDAS QUE CERTEZAS y, en su regreso a la selección de Cabo Verde, tampoco logró… pic.twitter.com/GUcdF3VJ8c
Vozinha has so far played three matches for Colo-Colo, and has had to sit on the bench for a couple of games.
Last week he played for Cape Verde for the first time since bowing out of the World Cup to Argentina, earning his 93rd cap in a 3-1 defeat to Mali in Afcon qualifying.
Why is Vozinha So Popular?
Before a ball had even been kicked at the 2026 World Cup, very few people new the name 'Vozinha'.
Born Josimar José Évora Dias in Cape Verde in 1986, the monniker of Vozinha had enjoyed a fairly routine, journeyman-esque career before shooting to stardom in his career's twilight. He didn't turn professional until he was 26 years of age, and has just one professional trophy to his name - the 2019 Cypriot Cup with AEL Limassol, in which he started in the final. He was 33 at the time and, though goalkeepers tend to go longer in the sport than outfielders, many would have expected this to be his crowning career glory.
Nominated for the 2026 Men's Goal Keeper of the Year ⬇️
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 8, 2026
Vozinha@gdchaves1949@ColoColo@fcfcomunica pic.twitter.com/AbqCo6lsx4
But Vozinha had been playing for his country, Cabo Verde, since 2012. The Portuguese territory off the coast of West Africa is populated by around just 500 thousand people, and shocked the world upon their qualification to the expanded 2026 World Cup, becoming the second-smallest nation to ever reach the global stage behind Curacao in the same tournament. Vozinha, as captain, had led the way to North America, but his performance against eventual world champions Spain was as spellbinding as it was lucrative.
The 40-year-old veteran made seven saves against the best team in the world, earning his tiny side an outstanding 0-0 draw - they were the only team to not concede a single goal to La Roja over the course of the summer.
Social media, of course, sank it's hooks into the story immediately. His following grew from a humble 56k to north of a million whilst the game was still ongoing, and today it sits at well over 25m people, which is more than the likes of Arsenal star Declan Rice.
40-year-old Vozinha heavily emotional after keeping a clean sheet against Spain 🥹
— 433 (@433) June 15, 2026
Imagine playing in Portugal’s second tier and keeping a clean sheet on your World Cup debut with a world-class performance like that 🤯
The craziest thing: Vozinha was not a professional… pic.twitter.com/fIbO7Hsb7D
World Cup fanatics are always on the lookout for the next underdog star. It's the very pinnacle of the tournament for many, and Vozinha became the epitome of the monniker as a result of this game. His humble career and more-so upbringing warmed the hearts of fans worldwide, and stories of his family lit the timeline up in the wake of football's next viral star.
A big move to Chilean giants Colo-Colo followed, but that fame and attention has come at the cost of Vozinha's privacy and peace - in his words, the humble, quiet life is a preferance for many, and being thrust into the spotlight so late and so suddenly comes with a burden of it's own.
Harry Pascoe 
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