10 Photos of Vozinha, the Goalkeeper Who Went From 50,000 to Nearly 10 Million Instagram Followers After Stunning Spain

Before Monday, most football fans had never heard of Josimar José Évora Dias. By Tuesday morning, the 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper, known to the world simply as Vozinha, had more Instagram followers than most of England's World Cup squad.

His performance in Cape Verde's 0-0 draw against Spain at Atlanta Stadium on 15 June turned a second-division Portuguese club goalkeeper into one of the most talked-about figures at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. By Tuesday morning UK time, his Instagram account had surged past 9.7 million followers — up from just 50,000 before kick-off.

A Name Born From a Childhood Taunt

Vozinha's nickname, which means 'little granny' in Portuguese, traces back to his childhood in São Vicente, Cape Verde. As a young boy raised largely by his grandparents while his father served in the military and his mother worked, Vozinha would often storm home in tears after losing street football matches to older kids.

'Since I lived with my grandparents, the other kids teased me by saying I was going to complain to my grandparents,' he told FIFA.com. 'That's how I got the nickname Vozinha.' When he later moved to Angola for his first professional stint abroad, there was already a goalkeeper named Josimar at his club. Rather than play as 'Josimar II,' he kept the nickname that had followed him since childhood — and it has been on the back of his shirt ever since.

Seven Saves, 27 Shots, One Historic Night

Spain entered the Group H opener as one of the tournament favourites, ranked second in the world and boasting a squad of elite talent. Cape Verde, appearing at a World Cup for the very first time, were ranked 67th. The result ranked as the fourth-most surprising in World Cup history by FIFA ranking differential.

Vozinha made seven saves across the 90 minutes, denying Ferran Torres, Pedri, and Aymeric Laporte as Spain fired off 27 shots without finding the net. He was named Player of the Match and became the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on his World Cup debut.

'I'm 40 years old. I thought about leaving football, but I continued because of this dream. This award is for all my teammates because without them, nothing would be possible,' he said after the match.

Tears, Teammates, and a Family Back Home

When the final whistle blew, Vozinha collapsed near his goal and wept. He later explained that the emotion was tied not just to the result, but to the people who could not be there with him.

'I cried because I grew up with my grandparents,' he said. 'They were everything for me.' He also revealed that his mother had been unable to attend due to the cost and complexity of the visa process.

His teammates, many of whom were equally emotional, mobbed him on the pitch in scenes that quickly spread across social media and helped fuel the viral wave that followed.

From 50,000 to 9.7 Million Overnight

Brazilian broadcaster CazéTV encouraged viewers to follow Vozinha on Instagram during the match, which helped accelerate an already explosive surge in his following. By full-time, his account had reached 1.1 million. By Tuesday morning, it had climbed past 9.7 million, with only five England players in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad boasting a larger following on the platform, namely Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice.

'That is insane, I didn't expect that,' Vozinha told the Men in Blazers podcast. 'Things run fast on Instagram, but I didn't believe it. I still don't believe, but it is what it is. Thank you to everyone.'

A Journey That Started Late

Unlike many players at this stage of their career, Vozinha only began playing professional football at the age of 25. His career took him across Angola, Moldova, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Portugal before he settled at GD Chaves, a second-division Portuguese side — a contract that was due to expire at the end of June 2026.

He has represented Cape Verde since 2012 and had earned 90 international caps prior to the Spain match, helping the national side qualify for Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in 2013, 2015, 2021, and 2023. The 2026 World Cup was a first for both him and his country.

Vozinha's overnight rise from relative anonymity to global recognition is one of the defining human stories of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It underscores how a single performance on football's biggest stage can rewrite a career narrative entirely — and how social media now amplifies those moments to an audience of millions within hours. For Cape Verde, a nation of around 500,000 people made up of ten volcanic islands off the coast of West Africa, it also marks the arrival of a country on the sport's grandest platform.