Vozinha could really use a grogue in Santo Antão

When Vozinha admitted that he preferred his life before fame, it hit like a punch to the gut. How could the Cape Verdean goalkeeper not be relishing the dream blown wide open at the World Cup? Yet that is where the fundamental misunderstanding lies: this was not Vozinha’s dream, it was ours, and no one is obligated to be happy living out someone else's dream.

Vozinha is our Cinderella Man. Proof that at 40 years old, without a club, one can stand on the grandest stage in the world and watch life change in a single match. The media whirlwind ignited by just one game against Spain was so rare and seismic that fame battered down the iron gates of Vozinha's fortress without knocking, never checking whether he wanted or was ready for the relentless glare that followed. For ordinary mortals, Vozinha became the ultimate symbol that against all odds, life could change in an instant. In return, we pushed him to live out our fantasy. That is why it feels so disarming to hear him confess that he preferred his life before the fame.

Instead of freedom, Vozinha encountered the "prison" of a complete loss of privacy. Perhaps he now secretly wishes we would simply forget him. Perhaps he longs to sink his feet into the sands of Laginha Beach or disappear into Monte Cara in São Vicente, searching barefoot for the fond memories of a dream he now realizes he was already living without even knowing it.

João Félix was likewise thrust into living a dream that belonged more to the public than to himself: the idea that a young talent with six months at the highest level could justify a €120 million price tag. Yet it was only when he chose Al Nassr—a decision that scandalized many who saw it as a lack of ambition—that he rediscovered himself, now flourishing as a key figure for the national team. In truth, no one is required to find happiness in someone else's dream. Sometimes the road to fulfillment is paved with choices that look puzzling from the outside, yet make complete sense to the one making them.

Renato Sanches was also propelled into a dream that was never truly his own: the rise of a Golden Boy capitalizing on Bernardo Silva’s injury to seize a spot at Euro 2016, suddenly landing at Bayern Munich. But our shared dream swiftly turned into a collective nightmare, as though daring to dream came with severe punishment. Few have paid as heavy a price as Renato Sanches.

According to Jorge Palma, "in the land of dreams, you can be who you are." And that is the essential condition for anything in life to truly be called a dream: the ability to be who we are, with the immense freedom to do what we like without the obligation to please anyone. We spend too much time and energy doing things that do not make us happy to impress people we do not even like—and often do not even know. A dream is only a dream when we feel at home.

Vozinha: let's walk through the Paul Valley and sip grogue while admiring the breathtaking vistas of Santo Antão. There, you can be whoever you want, and no one will think twice. Nha Terra, Nha Cretcheu.