New Delhi [India], July 5 : Excellent performances at the ongoing FIFA World Cup despite a round of 32 exit, have witnessed the stocks of 40-year-old Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha rising, as he has overcome legends like Spain's Iker Casillas, Belgium's Thibaut Courtois, Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez and the 'German Wall' Manuel Neuer to become the most followed goalkeeper on social media.
Cabo Verde concluded a FIFA World Cup debut to remember following a sensational match against world champions Argentina, which saw them go down by 3-2 despite a fantastic defensive and attacking effort. While Cabo Verde went back home without a win, the draws against Euro Champions Spain, former champion Uruguay and pushing a Lionel Messi-led Argentina are all big wins in themselves that the football fans will look back on with a smile. These moments will undoubtedly guide a new generation of Cabo Verde footballers, particularly towards goalkeeping.
Vozinha's social media followers count started hitting highs just after a goalless draw against Spain in the campaign opener. Before the match against Argentina, he had around 18 million followers on Instagram, and the 40-year-old came out of the clash against defending champions with over 25 million followers, as per a report from O Globo, a Brazillian outlet. With around 20.4 million Instagram followers, Casillas, a 2010 FIFA World Cup champion, has been pushed down to second.
Costa Rica's Keylor Navas (19 million), Belgium's Thibaut Courtois (18 million) and Germany's Marc-Andre ter Stegen (16.7 million) are amongst the most followed goalies worldwide. The top 10 also includes Spain and Manchester United legend David de Gea and Emiliano Martinez (15.1 million each), Manuel Neuer (14.9 million), Gianluigi Buffon (10.9 million) and Brazil's Alisson Becker (9.1 million), as per O Globo.
Vozinha made a total of 18 saves in this tournament and conceded just five goals; the only goalies aged 40 or older to register more saves at a single WC are Peter Shilton (28 in 1990 for England) and Dino Zoff (27 in 1982 for Italy), as per OptaJoe.
Cabo Verde played out unbeaten against three world champion teams, the 2010 champions and third-ranked Spain, the 19th-ranked two-time champions Uruguay and now the second-placed, defending champions Argentina, showcasing that they do belong to the biggest of the stages.
In all, they scored four goals, conceded five, drew three matches and lost one.
Vozinha's journey from obscurity to stardom is astonishing. Before the FIFA WC, Vozinha featured in the second-tier Portugal football competition for the club Chaves, and is now the most followed goalie in the world. While Vozinha is now a social media sensation, he could grab a lot of eyeballs in the European football circuit as they prepare for the new season by bringing in new signings, and the 40-year-old has positioned himself as the hottest free-agent goalie, no doubt.