Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has become a global sensation at the 2026 World Cup, but he wishes he could have a normal life again. The 40-year-old free agent gained millions of followers on social media and became Instagram’s most-followed goalkeeper, yet he told The Observer he’d happily go back to the days when nobody knew who he was.
The heroics that made him famous
Vozinha went into the tournament with no club to return to, playing for Colo-Colo in Chile. His performances against Spain, Uruguay, and Argentina put him under a massive spotlight. Now he faces fans, cameras, and strangers filming him wherever he goes.
“I’ve lost my peace and tranquillity,” he said. “I no longer have any privacy, or at least much less than I used to. Now I go out, I go to a restaurant, and there’s always someone who wants to take a photo with me or asks me for an autograph. Or, worse, someone is filming me. That’s what has changed most in my life, and I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it.”
What fame costs him personally
Vozinha added that he had turned off his Instagram notifications during the World Cup so he wouldn’t be distracted by checking who was following him. He also noted that his parents “have to learn to live” with the fame too, as he is unable to help them.
“A lot of people want to be famous and have a public profile, but they only see the positive side of that reality,” he said. “To be honest, if I were offered the life I have today or the life I had before, I’d choose the one I had before.”
Fame is not what it looks like from outside
Fame comes with costs that outsiders rarely see. Vozinha described the constant attention as a loss of privacy, not a gain. He said he no longer has peace and tranquillity, and he sees the negative side of fame that others miss.
The contrast between his two lives is striking:
- Life before the World Cup: no club, no followers, no one asking for photos
- Life after the World Cup: millions of followers, constant requests for photos, strangers filming him
Related story: A goalkeeper leading a kingdom
Vozinha isn’t the only goalkeeper in the spotlight. George Desmond Kamurasi, a goalkeeper and captain of a non-league team in London, has been chosen to lead a whole kingdom in Uganda.
A new species of sea snail
Vozinha even had a new species of sea snail named after him.
The choice he made
Vozinha’s position is honest. He sees the dark side of fame that others ignore. He wants his old life back, and he says so openly.
His decision is clear. Given the choice between his old life and his new one, he picks the old one once.
How the fame changed his daily life
Vozinha detailed exactly how his life has shifted since the World Cup:
- He no longer has privacy when he leaves the house.
- He loses tranquillity when he goes to a restaurant.
- Fans constantly ask for photos and autographs.
- Strangers film him without permission.
- He had to turn off Instagram notifications to avoid distraction.
Each of these changes came with the fame, and Vozinha says none of them were worth the attention he received.
The package
Vozinha’s story is unusual because he admits the negative side of fame directly. The snail, the kingdom, and the millions of followers are all part of the package.
The package includes the fame, the attention, the constant requests for photos, and the strangers filming him. Vozinha says he sees the full cost of it, even if others only see the bright side.
Source material: “World Cup star misses “privacy” of his old life after massive Instagram fame,” Dexerto.
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