It’s never too late in life to have a breakout. Just ask Cape Verde’s Vozinha.
Vozinha woke up on Monday as an unheralded 40-year-old goalkeeper enjoying the back end of a 19-year career that has seen him play at least 200 games (stats providers have not tracked all of his matches across clubs in Portugal, Cape Verde, Moldova, Angola, Cyprus and Slovakia). He has won a single trophy in his career (2018-19 Cypriot Cup with AEL Limassol) and has proudly represented his native Cape Verde since 2012.
This World Cup — Cape Verde’s first ever — is by some margin the highlight of his career. “I think it is the most important moment of our lives,” Vozinha told ESPN Brasil before the tournament. And Monday, facing Spain in their tournament opener, was the biggest day of his career.
Twenty-seven shots faced, seven saves and 90 minutes later, Vozinha’s life changed forever. He was named man of the match, and he cried when he heard the final whistle. He also went from 56,000 Instagram followers to 5 million and has become one of the early hero stories of the World Cup.
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“He was overwhelmed with emotion,” Cape Verde manager Bubista said. “He is quite an experienced player and has struggled throughout all of these years to be here at this world stage. It was also a cry of resilience.”
Who is Vozinha, and where did he come from?
Born in Mindelo, Cape Verde, a town of 70,000 people, Vozinha was born to be a striker. “My father wanted to name me Valdano, after the Argentine striker Jorge Valdano, from Real Madrid. But the authorities didn’t allow it,” he told ESPN Brasil.
Instead, he was called Vozinha, meaning “Little Granny”. He became a goalkeeper and eventually turned professional at age 25, making his debut for obscure local side Batuque in 2007 — the same year Spain star Lamine Yamal was born.
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There might be no other player who has trodden Vozinha’s journeyman path through football. After brief spells in Cape Verde and Portugal, he earned a move to Angolan side Progresso. From there, he plied his trade in Europe, playing for Zimbru in Moldova, Gil Vicente in Portugal, AEL Limassol in Cyprus and AS Trencin in Slovakia.
He has spent the past two years in Portugal’s second division with Chaves, where he has been in and out of the squad.
Never mind his club form; it is in a Cape Verde jersey that Vozinha truly shines. He kept seven clean sheets in 10 games during World Cup qualifying and conceded just eight goals — four of which came in one match against Cameroon. Maybe the warning signs for Spain were there from the beginning.
“I would tell 18-year-old Vozinha to be really proud of himself,” he said after the game.
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“I have worked my whole life for this moment,” he added. “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.”
Why he went viral after Spain shutout
For 90 unforgettable minutes in Atlanta on Monday, Vozinha was unbeatable. Spain threw everything at him, including 27 shots (seven on target). Soccer’s brightest young stars Yamal and Nico Williams came off the bench and couldn’t find a way past Vozinha.
He dazzled with reflex stops, diving saves, a magnificent early denial of Pedri, and efforts from range smothered with aplomb. By the time the ref blew the final whistle, Vozinha left the field in tears, having played his part in helping his country win its first ever World Cup point in its debut game.
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“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they were not here; they died a few years ago,” Vozinha said after the game. “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.”
It was the biggest shock of the World Cup so far, and Vozinha’s display did not go unnoticed. Brazilian broadcaster CazéTV began encouraging its viewers to follow Vozinha on Instagram. The impact was meteoric; Vozinha’s 46,000-strong following swelled to 1 million within minutes of the match’s end. Within a further few hours, he has 5 million followers … and rapidly counting.
“I work hard all my life for this, for this moment, for this dream,” Vozinha told Fox after the game.
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“A lot of generations in the past were dreaming of this, they didn’t achieve it, many ex-players from our national team … and now the dream has come true.”
Vozinha’s journey is most certainly not over. He’ll be back in action to face Uruguay on Sunday in Miami. Maybe he’ll help Cape Verde to their first World Cup victory, even if Monday’s result felt like one anyway.
Additional reporting from ESPN Deportes and ESPN Brasil.
