World Cup fan favorite Vozinha got 28 million followers on Instagram – but now he misses his old, simple life.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who became an instant sensation at the World Cup, has opened up about how hard it’s been to handle his sudden fame.
The 40-year-old, whose real name is Josimar Jose Evora Dias, shot into the spotlight on June 15 after making seven saves and keeping a clean sheet against Spain, the eventual champions, during the group stage.
That game changed everything for him. Overnight, his Instagram followers jumped from 50,000 to over 1 million.
In fact, his impact was huge—he now has more than 28 million followers, outnumbering stars like Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and Tom Brady.
Thanks to his World Cup success, Vozinha even got a big move to Colo Colo, Chile’s top football club. But he admits being famous has its downsides.
In an interview with The Observer, he shared why he misses his life before the spotlight.
“I’ve lost my peace and quiet,” he said. “I don’t have much privacy anymore. When I go out to eat, people always want photos or autographs. Sometimes someone even films me without asking. That’s the biggest change, and I don’t think I can do anything about it.”
He added, “Lots of people want to be famous and have a public profile, but they only see the good side. Honestly, if I could choose between my life now or before, I’d pick my old life.”
Vozinha also talked about how fame affects his family. His mom gets stopped by fans every day at her home in Cape Verde, asking for pictures.
“I can’t always help her because I’m not there,” he said. “They have to learn to deal with it and set boundaries.”
Beyond Vozinha’s story, Cape Verde’s rise at this World Cup was truly special. After a 0-0 draw with Spain, they made it to the last 32 without losing a single game in Group H.
Vozinha was outstanding—he kept two clean sheets and made 18 saves during the tournament. Still, even he couldn’t stop Argentina, who beat Cape Verde 3-2 in a close match.
“It feels good to be an ambassador,” Vozinha said about his country’s progress. “But what we did was a team effort. We made history, and the best thing would be to use this moment to help develop our country and improve life for our people.”
As mentioned, Vozinha’s social media blew up after Brazilian broadcaster CazéTV encouraged fans to follow him during the Cape Verde vs. Spain game.
He remembers finding out about his fame like this: “A catering staff member told me I had a billion followers. I thought he was joking. Then a CazéTV journalist showed me my phone—I saw I had over a million followers. I ended up turning off Instagram notifications so I wouldn’t keep checking who followed me.”