2026 World Cup: Cape Verde goalie Vozinha up to 8 million Instagram followers after star-making game vs. Spain
The 2026 World Cup is barely underway, and the star of the event may have already emerged. Following a star-making performance against Spain on Monday, Cape Verde goaltender Vozinha has seen his social-media following explode in a major way.
Vozinha — who began Monday with roughly 50,000 followers on Instagram — has seen his social-media presence swell to over 8 million followers — and counting — less than 24 hours after Cape Verde’s 0-0 tie with Spain.
Vozinha shared one post about his rising follower count Monday … when he had just 1.9 million followers. He may need to update that post after seeing that figure continue to surge in the hours after Cape Verde’s tie.
Vozinha — whose actual name is Josimar Dias — was nicknamed “Vozinha,” or granny in Portuguese, at a young age. The 40-year-old fully embraced that nickname Monday, dominating against players more than half his age while leading Cape Verde to a tie against one of the strongest teams in the World Cup.
Vozinha was exceptional during Cape Verde’s tie, making seven saves against a Spain team that was expected to dominate the contest. In addition to Spain being among the favorites to win the 2026 World Cup, Cape Verde was making its World Cup debut. No one expected the team to hang with Spain, let alone play the powerhouse to a tie. Thanks to Vozinha’s performance, Cape Verde stunned the soccer-watching world.
Following the win, Vozinha was named Man of the Match. When asked about that honor, the goalie credited his teammates, saying the whole team deserved the award.
He’s kept up that energy on Instagram, where he’s posted numerous images and videos of Cape Verde’s tie for his still-rapidly multiplying followers.
Following the tie, Cape Verde and Vozinha will look to prove they can repeat that performance in the team’s second World Cup game, which will come against Uruguay on Sunday.
