Cape Verde Goalkeeper Vozinha Says World Cup Fame Has Cost Him Privacy

Cape Verde goalkeeper Josimar Dias, popularly known as Vozinha, says his rise to global fame at the 2026 World Cup has left him without the privacy and quiet life he once enjoyed.

The 40-year-old was little known outside Portugal’s second division six months ago, when he played for Chaves. That changed at the World Cup, where his Player of the Match performance — seven saves in a 0-0 draw with Spain — made him a worldwide star.

Before the Spain game, Vozinha had 56,000 followers on Instagram. By full-time, his following had passed one million after Brazilian broadcaster CazéTV urged viewers to follow him. By the end of the tournament, after Cape Verde went unbeaten in the group stage and took Lionel Messi’s Argentina to extra time before losing 3-2, his following had surged past 20 million, making him the world’s most-followed goalkeeper on Instagram.

Speaking to The Observer in an exclusive interview, Vozinha said fame has become a burden.

“I’ve lost my peace and tranquillity. I no longer have any privacy, or at least much less than I used to. 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. That’s what has changed most in my life, and I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it.”

He added: “To be honest, if I were offered the life I have today or the one I had before, I’d choose the one I had before.”

Vozinha also revealed that his family has been affected, with fans showing up daily at his mother’s house in Cape Verde to ask for photos.

The goalkeeper, now at Chilean giants Colo-Colo after leaving Chaves as a free agent, said he has rejected many commercial offers and will not work with tobacco, alcohol or sports betting brands.