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Cape Verde's participation in the 2026 World Cup has turned Vozinha into a social media sensation, arguably the tournament's biggest winner in that regard so far. This Saturday, the 40-year-old goalkeeper surpassed former FC Porto star Iker Casillas (20.4M) to become the most followed goalkeeper in the world.
The former Chaves shot-stopper concluded his World Cup campaign with a total of 18 saves. His debut was particularly memorable, featuring seven crucial interventions in the goalless draw against Spain. He also kept a clean sheet against Saudi Arabia, and added another eight saves to his personal tally in the match against Argentina.
His Instagram follower count surged from 46,000 before the competition began to over 22.5 million. This growth has been continuous. Prior to the extra-time defeat against the reigning world champions, the goalkeeper already boasted 18.8 million followers, but facing Messi and co. propelled his numbers even higher.
At 40 years old, Vozinha has represented the Cape Verde national team since 2012, accumulating 94 caps over the past 14 years. In the World Cup, he started all four matches played by his team.
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