Vozinha goes from 50k to six million followers after stunning Spain at 40

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha held Spain to a 0-0 draw in Atlanta on Monday with seven crucial saves, and by Tuesday morning his Instagram following had exploded from 50,000 to 6.3 million — a rise that leaves only five England players in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad with a larger online presence.

The 40-year-old, who kept a clean sheet on his World Cup debut, also became the oldest goalkeeper in tournament history to achieve that feat on a first appearance. The only goalkeeper over 40 to make more saves in a single World Cup match was Pat Jennings, who stopped 10 shots for Northern Ireland against Brazil in 1986.

“That is insane, I didn’t expect that,” Vozinha told the Men in Blazers podcast. “Things run fast on Instagram, but I didn’t believe it. I still don’t believe, but it is what it is. Thank you to everyone.”

The performance has turned a spotlight on Cape Verde itself — a nation of ten volcanic islands off the coast of West Africa with a population of around 500,000, making it the third smallest country by population ever to qualify for a World Cup.

Vozinha was reflective about the broader significance of his moment on the sport’s biggest stage. “The World Cup is the big stage in the whole of football and it is every kid’s dream to be here one day,” he said. “When we inspire the next generation it is always good. To hear kids say one day they want to be Vozinha, I am very grateful.”

Cape Verde face Uruguay in Miami on Sunday before closing out their group stage against Saudi Arabia on 26 June.