Santiago (Chile) (AFP) – Vozinha, the Cape Verde goalkeeper and one of the great stories of the World Cup, arrived as a star in Colo Colo, Chile, but three months after his transfer, he has hardly played and is bearing the brunt of the weight of fame.

Published on: 09/11/2026 - 10:06

The World Cups have their share of fairy tales and the 2026 edition was no exception to the rule with that of Josimar José Evora Dias, known as Vozinha, 40 years old for his debut in the great global competition.

He greatly contributed to the exploits of his selection against Spain - future world champion - (0-0), against Uruguay (2-2) then against Argentina, future finalist, in the round of 16 which Cape Verde pushed into overtime (3-2).

Thanks to this great career, the goalkeeper became a world star and a few weeks after the North American World Cup, he signed for Colo Colo, the most popular and successful club in Chile.

During his presentation at the Monumental Stadium in Santiago, he was greeted by thousands of people and fireworks.

Off the field, Vozinha has participated in advertising campaigns with major brands such as Adidas, Pepsi and Red Bull and attended the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London, where he won sixth place in the Lev Yashin award for the best goalkeeper of the season.

- Champion with Colo Colo -

But on a sporting level, it was more complicated.

It took him almost a month to make his debut and, until Sunday, he had played only five of the 14 matches played by the club, the only Chilean to win the Copa Libertadores (1991).

Most of the time, his coach, Fernando Ortiz, prefers the young player from the Gabriel Maureira training center, 19 years old.

Sunday, Vozinha was still aligned with the "Albos" during the victory against Nublense (2-1) synonymous with a new coronation.

With this title, Colo Colo qualified for the Libertadores 2027.

“I came here with the intention of playing in the Copa Libertadores, but I am focusing on this week, which could be very important for Colo Colo. The future will be decided later, I am not thinking about it at the moment,” Vozinha previously said.

Its adaptation was not easy. He went from being a total unknown to a public figure with no private life.

The man who was a garbage collector before starting his professional career in 2007, went from a few tens of thousands of subscribers on Instagram to 27.5 million in just a few days during the World Cup.

The weight of fame

"I lost my peace and quiet. Now, when I go out, when I go to a restaurant, there is always someone who wants to take a photo with me or an autograph. Or, even worse, someone who films me," he explained in an interview with The Observer, the only one since his arrival in South America.

During his first weeks, the player used to frequent a bakery located in Vitacura, one of the richest neighborhoods of Santiago: "I think it was good for him sometimes to go there (...) because he felt well welcomed there and that he could discuss" about something other than football, Gustavo Cassin, manager of the shop, told AFP.

The days when he played in the Portuguese second division and worked as a beach volleyball instructor at the same time are now far behind him.

“To be honest, if I had to choose between the life I have today and the one I had before, I would prefer the one before,” the Cape Verdean told The Observer.

The local press is already speculating about a departure in 2027. Vozinha signed a six-month contract, extendable by one year if he plays 50% of the official minutes.

His performances have not escaped criticism. Claudio Bravo, former Chilean goalkeeper for FC Barcelona and Manchester City, questioned his technical abilities: "He makes several mistakes in a situation that requires coordination (...) and if you don't have coordination, you will never succeed."

© 2026 AFP

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