Cape Verde’s goalkeeper, Vozinha moves from 40k to 11 million Instagram followers

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has become one of the biggest stories of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after his heroics against Spain earned him millions of new fans on social media.

The 40-year-old shot-stopper produced a sensational performance as Cape Verde held tournament favourites Spain to a shock 0-0 draw in their World Cup debut, making seven crucial saves and earning the Man of the Match award.

But his exploits on the pitch have now translated into unprecedented popularity online.

Before the match, Vozinha had just over 40,000 Instagram followers. Within hours of the final whistle, his follower count exploded, climbing into the millions and eventually surpassing 11 million — more than the entire population of Cape Verde, which has fewer than 600,000 people.

The incredible rise was largely driven by Brazilian streamer Casimiro Miguel and his hugely popular CazéTV channel, which encouraged viewers to follow the veteran goalkeeper during the match.

Vozinha, whose real name is Josimar Dias, admitted he was stunned by the sudden fame.

“That is insane, I didn’t expect that,” he said after learning about the surge in followers.