NEWS
World Cup Hero Vozinha Grapples with New Fame: "I'd Choose My Old Life"
At the 2026 World Cup, Cape Verde's goalkeeper experienced unexpected fame and virtually became a star overnight. However, the 40-year-old is struggling with his new role.
Vozinha achieved his big, but unexpected breakthrough at the 2026 World Cup.
The Cape Verdean goalkeeper played a major role in his home country's historic performance at its first World Cup appearance, thanks to his strong displays. Due to his performances, the 40-year-old recently made it onto the list of the ten nominated goalkeepers for the Yashin Trophy as part of the Ballon d'Or ceremony (Overview of nominees>>>).
The life of the Cape Verdean captain was turned completely upside down within a few weeks by the 2026 World Cup.
After the World Cup, the goalkeeper moved from Portuguese second-division club GD Chaves to Chilean top-tier club Colo-Colo, while his Instagram follower numbers exploded.
Before the tournament, it was around 50,000; now, more than 28 million people follow him.
"Hardly Any Privacy Left"
According to Vozinha himself, however, he would wish for his former life back.
"If I had to choose between the life I have today and the one I had before, I would choose the life from before,” the goalkeeper said in an interview with the British “Observer.”
The 40-year-old emphasized that he had almost no privacy left due to the sudden fame.
“When I go to a restaurant, someone constantly wants to take a photo with me or asks me for an autograph,” Vozinha described. "Many people want to be famous and be in the public eye, but they only see the positive sides of this reality," added the 93-cap international goalkeeper.
