2026 World Cup: Cape Verde's Vozinha becomes world's most-followed goalkeeper

Cape Verde may have bowed out of the FIFA World Cup in the round of 32, but goalkeeper Vozinha has emerged as one of the tournament's biggest success stories.

The 40-year-old's outstanding performances on the world's biggest football stage have not only won him admirers but also made him the most-followed goalkeeper on social media, surpassing some of the game's biggest names, including Spain legend Iker Casillas, Argentina's Emiliano Martinez, Belgium's Thibaut Courtois and Germany's Manuel Neuer.

According to Brazilian outlet O Globo, Vozinha had around 18 million followers on Instagram before Cape Verde's final match against Argentina. After the thrilling 3-2 defeat to the defending champions, his follower count surged to more than 25 million.

Former Spain captain Casillas, who has around 20.4 million Instagram followers, now trails the Cape Verde veteran. Costa Rica's Keylor Navas (19m), Belgium's Thibaut Courtois (18m) and Germany's Marc-Andre ter Stegen (16.7m) are also among the world's most-followed goalkeepers.

A World Cup campaign to remember

Cape Verde's debut World Cup campaign captured the imagination of football fans across the globe. The African nation failed to register a victory, but their performances were anything but disappointing.

They stunned European champions Spain with a goalless draw in their opening match and followed it up with hard-fought draws against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Their tournament ended with a narrow 3-2 defeat to Argentina, a match in which they matched the world champions for long periods.

Cape Verde scored four goals and conceded just five throughout the tournament, proving they could compete with some of football's biggest nations.

Vozinha played a key role in that impressive run. He made 18 saves during the tournament and conceded only five goals. According to Opta, only England's Peter Shilton, who made 28 saves in 1990, and Italy's Dino Zoff, who made 27 saves in 1982, have recorded more saves at a single World Cup after turning 40.

Before the World Cup, Vozinha was playing in Portugal's second division for Chaves and remained largely unknown outside his homeland.

Today, he is a global football sensation whose remarkable rise has become one of the stories of the tournament and could open the door to a new chapter in his career.