A sun hiding behind the stormy clouds, waiting for its time to come out and shine bright, is exactly the story of Vozinha, the forty-year-old goalkeeper who waited for years for it to deliver when it mattered the most, for his country, Cape Verde. In a country with a population of 550,000, where deep musical traditions and a rich cultural heritage blend with a history dating back to the 15th century, Vozinha, the goalkeeper in the match against Spain, provided fans with their first experience of a World Cup match by securing a draw with his exceptional goalkeeping.
The 40-year goal keeper has gained a huge appraisal across the world, and his social media follower bloomed, from 50,000, he gained 5 million followers in less than 24 hours.
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The man who showed the power of dreams and the power of not giving up to the people of Cape Verde has a journey of his own. Years of struggle culminated in his extraordinary saga by performing at the biggest stage.
Journey of the man with golden arms
Most footballers dream of playing on football’s biggest stage, but very few have to wait until the age of 40 to make their World Cup debut. For Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, that moment arrived after an entire career of perseverance.
Cape Verde secured qualification for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history, a remarkable achievement for a country of just over half a million people. Their place at the expanded 48-team tournament marked a landmark moment in Cape Verdean football.
Vozinha descobre em direto que ganhou mais de 1 milh£o de seguidores 😂ðŸ’
— B24 (@B24PT) June 15, 2026
(via @CazeTVOficial) pic.twitter.com/s5QatXCCuh
The reward, however, was a formidable challenge, an opening match against Spain, one of the competition’s favourites and a perennial powerhouse in international football. With expectations heavily tilted in Spain’s favour, few believed Cape Verde would emerge from the encounter with anything to show for their efforts.
Vozinha: ‘The little voice’ of Cape Verde
Josimar Jose Evora Dias, the forty-year-old man whose nickname is Vozinha, which literally means "little voice," has over the decades transformed into the loudest voice in Cape Verde's football arena.
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The experienced goalkeeper has represented Cape Verde for over a decade and is one of the most notable players in the nation's football history. The standout performance in their debut World Cup match against Spain, where he saved seven attacks, is going to be remembered as one of the loudest cheers in the FIFA World Cup. After the match, where they ended with a 0-0 scoreline, he was awarded as the man of the match and said, “I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they were not here; they died a few years ago,” he said. “They were everything for me, for my life. I also cried because my mum didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money we had to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage to [get it done] on time. I would like her to be here, but I’m also very happy."
He also added, “I have worked my whole life for this moment. I’m 40 years old. I started playing football professionally when I was 25, in 2012. I thought about leaving, but I continued because of this dream. This is for everyone. I was named man of the match, but this is for all of my teammates because without them, nothing would be possible. I will continue to work for Cape Verde and for the people."
At 40, Vozinha turned a lifelong dream into a historic World Cup moment, inspiring Cape Verde and football fans around the world. His performance against Spain proved that perseverance, patience, and belief can make the impossible possible.
