“I lost my peace”: Vozinha reveals unseen side after the World Cup | OneFootball

The 2026 World Cup changed the course of Vozinha’s life. At 40, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper rose to prominence after shining in the draw with Spain and helping Cape Verde reach the round of 16, where he once again stood out against runners-up Argentina.

But the recognition came at a price he never expected to pay. In an interview with The Observer, Vozinha opened up about the impact of fame and admitted he misses the peace he had before the World Cup.

“I lost my peace”

The scale of the exposure was unexpected. Before the World Cup, Vozinha had around 50,000 followers on Instagram. After Cape Verde’s historic run, that number surpassed 20 million.

Vozinha also feels the weight of fame. “I no longer have privacy, or at least I have much less than I used to,” he said, describing requests for photos, autographs, and videos even during trips to restaurants.

“I lost my peace and tranquility. That’s what changed most in my life. A lot of people want to be famous and have a public profile, but they only see the positive side of that reality. To be honest, if I were offered the life I have today or the life I had before, I would choose the one I had before,” he said.

The statement carries even more weight when you look at the Cape Verdean’s journey. For years, Vozinha built his career far from the biggest spotlight, with spells at Gil Vicente, AEL Limassol, AS Trencin and, more recently, Chaves, where he played in Portugal’s Liga 2.

From the World Cup to Colo-Colo

His performance against Spain, however, opened a door that was unlikely to close. Vozinha finished the World Cup as one of the standout players in his position, with 18 saves and a 78% save rate, in addition to taking Lionel Messi’s Argentina to extra time in the round of 16.

Shortly afterward, an offer arrived from Colo-Colo. The goalkeeper signed a contract until the end of 2026, with a clause that could automatically extend the deal for another season if he reaches a certain number of minutes played.

In Chile, the adaptation is also happening gradually. Vozinha made his debut for Colo-Colo in the Copa Chile against Unión Española, and then earned a starting spot in the Primera División. He started against Huachipato in a scoreless draw and played again against Deportes Concepción, a match that ended 1-1. In total, he has made three appearances for the club.

Coach Fernando Ortiz even highlighted Vozinha’s nomination for the Yashin Award, reserved for the best goalkeepers in the world, and once again backed him as a starter after his debut in the Chilean league.

A new challenge with Cape Verde

With the national team, however, the recent moment has been more complicated. Vozinha decided to continue representing Cape Verde after initially bringing his international career to an end. The historic World Cup campaign strengthened his bond with the Blue Sharks, now coached by Humberto Bettencourt, who took over after Bubista’s departure.

At the start of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON, however, Vozinha made a mistake against Mali and ended up gifting the opponents their third goal in a 3-1 defeat. The response could come as soon as the next match, against Rwanda, scheduled for tomorrow (the 29th). Cape Verde is thus beginning a new phase after its historic World Cup, and the goalkeeper remains at the center of the story.

At 40, the No. 1 of the Portuguese-speaking national team is living a curious contradiction: he has never been more famous, but he has also never wanted so badly to recover part of the anonymous life he had before. On the pitch, however, he continues trying to prove that the extraordinary World Cup campaign was not a one-off chapter.

*André Freixo, special correspondent for RTI Esporte Agency, reporting directly from Portugal

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.