Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has surged past 20 million Instagram followers — a staggering leap from the 50,000 he had before the 2026 FIFA World Cup began — cementing his place as the most-followed goalkeeper on the platform, overtaking legends including Iker Casillas.

The milestone is a direct consequence of Vozinha's remarkable displays at the tournament, where he was the cornerstone of Cape Verde's historic run to the round of 16 — the Blue Sharks' first-ever appearance in a World Cup knockout stage.

A tournament for the ages

Cape Verde made their FIFA World Cup debut with a series of resilient performances. Vozinha was central to a shock 0-0 draw against Spain in their opening match, then stood firm again as his side held Uruguay to a 2-2 stalemate. A third consecutive draw — a goalless result against Saudi Arabia — was enough to send Cape Verde through to the round of 32, where they were eventually beaten 3-2 by reigning champions Argentina.

At 40 years and 12 days old during their opening fixture, Vozinha became the oldest player ever to feature in a nation's debut FIFA World Cup match — breaking a record set by Curaçao's Eloy Room just 24 hours earlier — and ranked as the ninth-oldest player to appear in the tournament overall.

His clean sheet against Spain also placed him third on the all-time list of oldest goalkeepers to keep a clean sheet in a World Cup match, behind only Peter Shilton and Dino Zoff. He additionally moved into second place among goalkeepers aged 40 and over for most saves recorded in a single World Cup match since 1966.

A veteran's journey

Vozinha first represented Cape Verde in September 2012, keeping goal in a 2-0 home victory over Cameroon in the first leg of an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying playoff. He was between the posts again for the return leg in Yaoundé on 14 October — a 2-1 defeat that nonetheless secured Cape Verde's place in their first major tournament. At those finals in South Africa, the Blue Sharks advanced to the quarterfinals before falling 2-0 to Ghana.

More than a decade later, the 40-year-old has rewritten his legacy — and in doing so, become one of the most talked-about figures of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.