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Josimar “Vozinha” Dias had one of the wildest days of any athlete in human history on Monday.
When he left his team hotel in Atlanta to play in his first World Cup game at 40-years-old for the small nation of Cape Verde, all he hoped for was to put on a good performance against the reigning European champions Spain.
Not a nobody, Vozinha had 40,000-plus followers on Instagram and played in the Portuguese second division professionally. He was a steady, experienced goalkeeper that was going to try his best to command a defense against one of the scariest attacks in the sport.
24 hours later, following a game where he made several huge saves and directed his backline like a general, Vozinha is now the most talked about athlete in the entire world.
Don’t believe us?
Here are famous athletes that the Cape Verde goalie now has more followers than on Instagram.
More news: Cape Verde Goalie, 40, Gains 3 Million Followers After World Cup Heroics
Cape Verde’s goalkeeper #01 Vozinha (L) is congratulated by staff and teammates for his clean sheet at the end of the 2026 World Cup Group H football match between Spain and Cape Verde at the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta on June 15, 2026. (Photo by Roberto SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)
Connor McDavid: The face of hockey today and one of the greatest players to ever take the ice, McDavid is at 1.5 million followers. Vozinha surpassed that in less than an hour following his performance against Spain.
Jalen Brunson: Brunson just became the king of New York following his NBA Finals MVP which propelled the Knicks to their first championship in over 50 years. He has grown rapidly in the past few weeks, but he has 1.8 million. Not close to Vozinha’s current total.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Yamamoto is a hero not only for Los Angeles Dodgers fans but the entire country of Japan following his heroics in last year’s World Series, winning back-to-back games to clinch the World Series. Even with all the fanfare Yamamoto received, his 2.3 million followers don’t stack up to the Cape Verde hero.
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 7, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Patrick Mahomes: The three-time Super Bowl champion is one of the most recognizable sports stars in North America, but his 6.4 million followers don’t compare to Vozinha.
Carlos Alcaraz: Another Spaniard that can’t take down the Cape Verde goalkeeper. Alcaraz might be the biggest current name in tennis and the future of the sport alongside Italy’s Jannik Sinner, but his 8.6 million followers have been surpassed by Vozinha.
How many followers does the Cape Verde man have a little over 24 hours from his legendary outing versus the European kings?
10.6 million.
To put things into perspective, Shohei Ohtani has 10.8 million.
You’re next, Shohei.
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When he left his team hotel in Atlanta to play in his first World Cup game at 40-years-old for the small nation of Cape Verde, all he hoped for was to put on a good performance against the reigning European champions Spain.
Not a nobody, Vozinha had 40,000-plus followers on Instagram and played in the Portuguese second division professionally. He was a steady, experienced goalkeeper that was going to try his best to command a defense against one of the scariest attacks in the sport.
24 hours later, following a game where he made several huge saves and directed his backline like a general, Vozinha is now the most talked about athlete in the entire world.
Don’t believe us?
Here are famous athletes that the Cape Verde goalie now has more followers than on Instagram.
More news: Cape Verde Goalie, 40, Gains 3 Million Followers After World Cup Heroics
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Cape Verde’s goalkeeper #01 Vozinha (L) is congratulated by staff and teammates for his clean sheet at the end of the 2026 World Cup Group H football match between Spain and Cape Verde at the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta on June 15, 2026. (Photo by Roberto SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)
Connor McDavid: The face of hockey today and one of the greatest players to ever take the ice, McDavid is at 1.5 million followers. Vozinha surpassed that in less than an hour following his performance against Spain.
Jalen Brunson: Brunson just became the king of New York following his NBA Finals MVP which propelled the Knicks to their first championship in over 50 years. He has grown rapidly in the past few weeks, but he has 1.8 million. Not close to Vozinha’s current total.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Yamamoto is a hero not only for Los Angeles Dodgers fans but the entire country of Japan following his heroics in last year’s World Series, winning back-to-back games to clinch the World Series. Even with all the fanfare Yamamoto received, his 2.3 million followers don’t stack up to the Cape Verde hero.
You must be registered for see images attach
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 7, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Patrick Mahomes: The three-time Super Bowl champion is one of the most recognizable sports stars in North America, but his 6.4 million followers don’t compare to Vozinha.
Carlos Alcaraz: Another Spaniard that can’t take down the Cape Verde goalkeeper. Alcaraz might be the biggest current name in tennis and the future of the sport alongside Italy’s Jannik Sinner, but his 8.6 million followers have been surpassed by Vozinha.
How many followers does the Cape Verde man have a little over 24 hours from his legendary outing versus the European kings?
10.6 million.
To put things into perspective, Shohei Ohtani has 10.8 million.
You’re next, Shohei.
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