Make New York Post a Preferred Source Cape Verde World Cup goalie Vozinha is opening up about the impact of his newfound fame.
The 40-year-old gained stardom after Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw with Spain, the 2026 FIFA World Cup champions, in his country’s first-ever game at the international spectacle, where they became the second smallest country by population to ever qualify for the tournament. Vozinha made seven saves in that first contest, and he quickly became a household name for soccer heads.
However, his newfound fame hasn’t always been easy.
“I’ve lost my peace and tranquility. I no longer have any privacy, or at least much less than I used to,” he told “The Observer.”
Colo Colo’s goalkeeper Vozinha acknowledges fans as he leaves the pitch after the Copa Chile football match between Colo Colo and Union Espanola at the National Stadium in Santiago, Aug. 26, 2026. AFP via Getty Images “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,” Vozinha continued. “That’s what has changed most in my life, and I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it.”
His prominence has even begun affecting people close to him.
Vozinha shared that his fans now show up in front of his mother’s house in Cape Verde frequently.
“I’m not there so I can’t help [my parents]. They have to learn with the situation and set boundaries,” he said.
Vozinha of Cabo Verde makes a save during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Spain and Cabo Verde at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 15, 2026. FIFA via Getty Images Since that first match in June, Vozinha’s online attention has skyrocketed.
He went from 50,000 Instagram followers to now around 28.4 million.
Vozinha is now gaining recognition, and likely more attention, by being on the shortlist for men’s goalkeeper of the year at the Ballon d’Or.
“A lot of people want to be famous and have a public profile, but they only see the positive side of that reality,” he pointed out. “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.”
