Vozinha pays the price of his World Cup fame: "I preferred my life before, I have lost my peace"'

Vozinha, Cape Verde's goalkeeper who at 40 became a football star at the 2026 World Cup, admits in an interview with "The Observer" that "I preferred my life before fame, I have lost my peace and quiet".'

"I no longer have privacy, or at least I have much less than before. Now I go out, I go to a restaurant, and there is always someone who wants to take a photo with me or ask me for an autograph. Or, even worse, someone is filming me. That is what has changed the most in my life, and I don't think there's anything I can do about it," the veteran goalkeeper admitted to Dani Gil, who after his outstanding performance against Spain in the World Cup went from 56,000 followers on Instagram to surpassing one million in just a few hours.

Vozinha recalls the moment he found out he had become a viral phenomenon at the World Cup

'Vozinha, who is nominated for the Ballon d'Or, recalls that "a member of the catering team came up to me and told me I had millions of followers. I had no idea what he was talking about; I thought he was joking, but he insisted. Later, I went to speak to the press in the mixed zone and a journalist from CazéTV asked me if I knew what was happening. She showed me her phone and that was when I saw I had more than a million followers... I decided to turn off Instagram notifications so I wouldn't be tempted to keep checking who was following me".'

"I know that during the World Cup there were many companies and brands that wanted to work with me, but while we were competing I only did one promotional collaboration, with UFL Mobile. I don't know what offers might arise in the future, but for now I don't want to work with tobacco, alcohol, or betting brands," he emphasized.

'Vozinha: "Many people want to be famous, but they only see the positive side of that reality."'

Vozinha reflected on fame and its effects: "Many people want to be famous and have public exposure, but they only see the positive side of that reality. To be honest, if I were given the choice between the life I live now and the one I had before, I would choose the one I had before."

The high-profile Colo-Colo goalkeeper from Chile shares that his sudden fame has not only affected him, but also those around him.

"They have to learn to live with the situation and to set boundaries," pointed out the goalkeeper, who after his impact at the World Cup decided to put his retirement on hold.

'Vozinha: "We made history, and the best news would be to be able to harness that momentum to develop our country"'

On the positive side of his new fame, Vozinha highlights the visibility it has brought to Cape Verde: "It's nice to feel like a kind of ambassador, but I want to make it clear that what we achieved was a collective effort".

"We made history, and the best news would be to be able to take advantage of that momentum to develop our country and improve the living conditions of our people," he acknowledged.

On his decision to sign for Colo-Colo, he explained that "it was the club that showed the most interest. I did not receive offers from the United States and there were some contacts with Saudi Arabia, but nothing concrete. Hopefully I can soon play in the Copa Libertadores."

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