On Monday, June 15, 2026, one of the most anticipated matches of the group stage of the ongoing FIFA World Cup took place. Spain’s debut in 2026—and Lamine Yamal’s debut in one of the tournaments he had been most looking forward to—resulted, however, in only a draw for La Roja, as the match ended scoreless.
But a new star seems to have emerged from this match. A player not yet widely known to the general public who, above all else—at least for now—seems to have won over the fans. We’re talking about Vozinha, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper who has captivated Group H with flawless saves, allowing his team to take home a crucial point.
Born in 1986, Vozinha—whose real name is Josimar José Évora Dias—became the oldest player to make his World Cup debut for his country, and quickly became a social media sensation.
In just a few hours, in fact, his Instagram followers jumped from about 50,000 to the more than 11.5 million users who currently follow the goalkeeper—and that number continues to rise. In the 24 hours following the match, Vozinha’s new fan base had already grown by more than 5.5 million, and it has continued to grow exponentially since then.
As of now, the prospect of Cape Verde qualifying for the knockout stage and continuing its World Cup run seems unlikely, especially given the upcoming match against a seasoned team like Uruguay. But after the game they’ve already played against Spain, never say never…
In addition to him, New Zealander Tim Payne has also already become a global social media star. Discovered by a content creator and considered perhaps the least well-known player in the World Cup—with fewer than 5,000 followers on Instagram—the defender’s fame has grown rapidly thanks to his viral popularity online, which has allowed him to reach nearly 6 million followers.
[📷 IPA; Instagram: vozinha1]
