Amid coverage of the 2026 World Cup, one name began to gain traction on social media: “Vozinha”, goalkeeper for the Cape Verde national team, who ended up becoming one of the unexpected protagonists off the pitch.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper caught fans’ attention during broadcasts of the African side’s matches, where his presence, saves, and leadership in goal were highlighted by commentators and supporters.
Brazilian channel CazéTV invited its audience to follow the goalkeeper’s Instagram account during the broadcast, all as a way of recognizing his performance.
The initiative came after the hosts commented on the small number of followers the footballer had, only about 50 thousand.
As of the writing of this article, Vozinha has 2.7 million followers.
On platforms such as X and Instagram, his name began trending, accompanied by clips of his plays and reactions from users who wanted to know more about the Cape Verdean goalkeeper.
At a World Cup where the biggest stars usually draw all the attention, Vozinha managed to carve out his own space in the digital conversation, showing how a player can go viral even without being at the center of the scoreboard.
Here is a very emotional Vozinha: