Vozinha became the face of Cape Verde’s historic World Cup debut against Spain.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper made seven saves, including six from inside the box, as Cape Verde earned a 0-0 draw and their first ever point at the tournament against one of the favourite countries to win it.
He was named man of the match, but the scale of his new global fame was only made clear when teammate Ryan Mendes saw his Instagram rise on live television.
Ryan Mendes stunned by Vozinha’s Instagram explosion
Brazilian journalist Barbara Coelho, from CazeTV, showed Mendes that Vozinha had gone from 56,000 Instagram followers to almost two million after the Spain draw.
Coelho explained that CazeTV had helped lead a campaign to boost the goalkeeper’s account after Cape Verde’s heroic performance.
Mendes could barely believe the number.
“What? He’s going to faint there when he sees that,” he said.
The figure has kept rising, too. Vozinha is now recording 2.7 million Instagram followers, turning one clean sheet into a life-changing moment.
That reaction carried extra weight because Mendes knows what Vozinha means to Cape Verde. Like the goalkeeper, he is considered one of the country’s greatest ever players.
Mendes has 96 caps for Cape Verde, is one of the most talented players the nation has produced, and alongside Vozinha he has long been one of their biggest symbols.
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