"I still don't have anything." That's Vozinha, the 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper who just held Spain scoreless at a World Cup, speaking to Brazilian journalist Daniel Braune about his current situation. His contract with Portuguese second-division side Deportivo Chaves has expired, and one of the tournament's breakout figures is a free agent.
The timing is absurd in the best possible way. Vozinha went from 50,000 Instagram followers to nearly 16 million in the space of days after Brazilian influencer Casimiro Miguel — known as Cazé — pointed his audience toward the goalkeeper following Cape Verde's 0-0 draw with European champions Spain on June 15. Then came a 2-2 draw with Uruguay. Suddenly, the world had a new cult figure between the sticks.
Brazil isn't just a fanbase — it might be a destination
When asked about playing in Brazil, Vozinha smiled. "It would be good. We'll see." That's not a no. For any Brazilian club watching, a goalkeeper with 16 million Instagram followers and genuine World Cup form is a marketing proposition that doesn't need much explaining. Whether the football case stacks up alongside the commercial one is a different conversation — but at 40, Vozinha is clearly still performing at a level that earns him a contract somewhere.
His career took him through Angola with Progresso do Sambizanga, where he actually did preseason in Brazil, before landing at Chaves. His goalkeeping influences — Preud'homme, Van der Sar, Buffon — suggest someone who grew up studying the position seriously. This isn't a novelty act.
Cape Verde's more immediate concern is Friday's match against Saudi Arabia in Houston. A win puts them through to the round of 32 in their first-ever World Cup appearance — something Vozinha called "extraordinary" given that qualifying and getting a single point were both considered long shots before the tournament. "My dream, and the dream of all Cape Verdeans, is to reach the next round," he said.
He'll want to settle the club question after that. Right now, there's still a World Cup to play.
