Veteran goalkeeper Vozinha's six-save shutout earns Cape Verde a 0-0 draw with Spain and overnight Instagram fame
The veteran Cape Verde goalkeeper, Josimar 'Vozinha' Dias, produced a man-of-the-match performance with multiple saves and kept a clean sheet against European champions Spain, helping his nation earn a point in its first-ever World Cup match.
Historic debut draw
Cape Verde made their World Cup debut on Monday with a 0-0 draw against Spain in Group H. Spain dominated possession with 74% and fired 27 shots, but Vozinha's goalkeeping kept them scoreless. He made six saves, the highest tally by any goalkeeper in the 2026 tournament so far, and earned a match rating of 9.0, the best of any player. The result leaves Cape Verde needing a win against Uruguay on June 21 to advance.
Record-breaking night for a 40-year-old
At 40 years and 12 days, Vozinha became the ninth-oldest player to appear in a World Cup match, and the oldest starting goalkeeper to ever keep a clean sheet. The only older goalkeeper to not concede in a World Cup game was Colombia's Faryd Mondragón, who came on as a substitute at age 43 for six minutes in 2014. Vozinha, who plays for Portuguese second-tier side Chaves and is valued at just €50,000 on Transfermarkt, now holds the record for most saves in a single 2026 World Cup match.
Overnight social media phenomenon
Vozinha's Instagram following exploded during the 90 minutes. From roughly 40,000–50,000 followers before kick-off, his count surged past 1 million by the final whistle and reached approximately 1.6 million within hours. The Brazilian channel CazéTV ran a campaign urging viewers to follow him, and he gained 300,000 new followers in a single half-hour stretch. Reacting to the news, Vozinha laughed: "I hope my Instagram doesn't get blocked."
- Before kick-off
- 45000 followers
- After final whistle
- 1600000 followers
Reaction: "I dreamed my whole life about this moment"
Speaking after the match, Vozinha expressed his joy and gratitude.
I dreamed my whole life about this moment. I worked my whole life to be on these stages. Today I managed it and helped the team with my experience. I'm very happy about it.
He also thanked the Cape Verdean fans in the stadium and around the world, saying the support felt during qualification and now at the World Cup had been enormous.
From street football to World Cup hero
Born Josimar José Évora Dias, Vozinha earned his nickname as a child because he was known for complaining to his grandparents when older boys knocked him around during street games. He began his professional career in 2008 at Batuque in Cape Verde and went on to play in Angola, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Portugal. With 90 international caps, he is just seven appearances away from becoming Cape Verde's all-time leader.
