Is Inter Miami interested in signing 40-year-old Cabo Verde keeper Vozinha? | OneFootball

Gutty World Cup performance makes Vozinha international sensation

Only the most ardent soccer fans beyond the tiny island nation of Cabo Verde knew the name Vozinha -- "Little Granny" -- before the Blue Sharks' surprise showing at their first-ever World Cup. Now the football world is singing his praises, and the 40-year-old goalkeeper is reportedly being courted by North America's most glamorous club.

On Tuesday, the Spanish sports news site Marca reported that defending MLS Cup champion Inter Miami is interested in signing Vozinha -- whose legal name is Josimar José Évora Dias -- to a contract before Major League Soccer resumes its 2026 season later this month. It credited the Polish media network TVN for the tip.

'Little Granny' becomes journeyman keeper, national team regular

Vozinha, who was born in Mindelo on the Cabo Verdean island of São Vicente, began his senior team career in 2007. He has played primarily in his homeland, with stints in Angola, Cyprus, Moldova, Portugal and Slovakia. He made his first appearance for the Cabo Verde national team in 2012 and now has 94 caps for his country. In a 2024 Portuguese-language feature for FIFA.com, he explained how he earned his nickname as a child:

"It's because of my grandparents," he said. "I never lived with my parents. When I was born, my dad was in the military. And my mom always had to work for something. So I always grew up with my grandparents.

"In my neighborhood, the guys were much older. And I always played in the street, taking a lot of hits. I also played very well with my feet, I was competitive and rebellious, I didn't like losing. I got hit a lot, and whenever I couldn't get back at them, stuff like that, I would go home angry, with a scowl on my face, and they would keep teasing me that I was going to complain to my grandparents."

The young goalkeeper said he didn't like the name, but it's how he was known in Cabo Verde. He wanted to use his first name on his jersey when he moved to Angola, but the team, Progresso, already had a goalkeeper named Josimar.

"Then I said, 'I’m not going to put Josimar II on my shirt,' And if everyone knew me as Vozinha in Cape Verde, that’s what was going to stick," he said.

World Cup spotlight

"Little Granny" attracted the world's attention on June 15 with seven saves and the player of the match award in a scoreless draw against Spain, which was rated second in the world by FIFA as of June 11. Cape Verde was 67th. He allowed two goals in a draw against Uruguay then kept another clean sheet in a scoreless tie with Saudi Arabia. The 3 points was enough for the Sharks to finish runners-up to Spain and set up a Round of 32 match against world No. 1 Argentina.

Against La Albiceleste, Vozinha delivered perhaps the greatest performance of his career with 8 saves -- incuding several spectacular stops, including against Messi -- in a match that went into extra time tied 2-2 and eventually won 3-2 by Argentina. Vozinha had 18 saves and conceded 5 goals in four World Cup matches.

The performance earned the Cabo Verdean a short conversation with Messi and, presumably, the Inter Miami and Argentina captain's jersey.

"I went up to Messi after the game. He hugged me and said, 'You are great. Your people should be proud of you,'" Vozinha said after the match, according to Yahoo Sports. "That was incredible for me. Hearing words like that from someone like Leo Messi means a lot to me. I thanked him and said, 'Thank you, Leo. You are the best.' Then I asked if we could swap shirts. Leo said he would give it to me in the tunnels after the interview."

But is he coming to Inter Miami?

Maybe? It's a fantastic feel-good story, but I can't imagine the Herons, who still have three trophies to play for in 2026, will use a roster spot on a 40-year-old goalkeeper with no experience at the more competitive professional levels. Maybe Miami will sign Vozinha to attract new soccer fans inspired by Cabo Verde's journey, but how many more jerseys do Las Garzas need to sell?

Dayne St. Clair -- who watched Maxime Crépeau play all of Canada's World Cup minutes -- has been inconsistent but not terrible as the Herons' starter, and if interim coach Guillermo Hoyos decides to bench the 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, fan favorite Rocco Ríos Novo, who started down the stretch and through the MLS Cup playoffs last year, is waiting in the wings. Luis Barraza is the Herons' third keeper.

Stranger things have happened in the Land of Pink & Black, but this seems like silly season speculation, a nice click-bait story to take advantage of Cabo Verde's success. If anything changes, we'll let you know.