Cape Verde Goalkeeper Gains Over 2 Million Instagram Followers After Heroic World Cup Performance in Draw Against Spain
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha put on a show-stopping performance on Monday, June 15, during the national team's World Cup debut against Spain, which came into the tournament ranked No. 3 in FIFA's world rankings.
Spain went into the game as the heavy favorites, but the 40-year-old goalkeeper's performance was a large part of the reason for the final score being 0-0, earning Cape Verde its first World Cup point.
And with that, he has earned worldwide attention.
Vozinha began the day with 45,000 followers on Instagram, but after the game that resulted in a draw, his account had over 3.3 million followers as of 6:45 p.m. on Monday.
Brilliant save by Vozinha! 🧤
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 15, 2026
The Cape Verde stopper is doing everything he can to keep Spain out pic.twitter.com/R9I7LcXNiz
And with that, Vozinha earned FIFA Man of the Match recognition and cemented himself in the history books, becoming the oldest goalkeeper in World Cup history to keep a clean sheet in a tournament match, having made seven saves.
Vozinha was clearly emotional, with tears in his eyes after the game. And with that, he held up his nation's flag with pride
Vozinha was in tears after his heroic performance earned a clean sheet and Cabo Verde's first-ever World Cup point 🥺 pic.twitter.com/1W7urCuAKQ
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 15, 2026
So, what does he think of all his new followers?
"Crazy," he said during an interview after the match.
Vozinha, who has been a member of the Cape Verde national team since 2012, will have two more group-stage games against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. And with that, a win in either could earn them a spot in the Round of 32.
Fans React To Vozinha's Performance
"This is the greatest performance ever by a goal keeper in the World Cup history," one person commented.
"40 years old. Playing in Portugal's 2nd division. Facing Spain with 74% possession and 27 shots... and this man delivers a masterclass clean sheet on his World Cup debut for a tiny island nation. Tears of pure glory. This is why we love football. Vozinha is a legend," another person wrote.
"Most 40-year-olds cry because their knees hurt. Vozinha cries because he just bodied Spain. Different breed," a fan posted.
"Spain completely dominated possession with 74% of the ball and 23 total shots (8 on goal), yet Vozinha stood like a wall to secure a historic clean sheet," another fan said.
"I think I just found that one team to root for in this world cup. What a performance?!!!," one fan shared.
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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 3:56 PM.