In Santiago, where Colo Colo’s colours carry the weight of Chilean football, Vozinha is trying to adjust to a life transformed by Cape Verde’s 2026 World Cup run. The 40-year-old goalkeeper arrived at the Chilean club after becoming one of the tournament’s most recognisable figures, but says the attention has cost him the quiet routine he once valued.
Vozinha said public recognition has reshaped even ordinary trips outside. Meals at restaurants and walks through the city now regularly bring requests for photographs and autographs, while he is also aware that people may film him without asking.
“I have lost my peace and calm,” he said. “I no longer have privacy, or at least far less than I did before.”
The Cape Verde international has also changed his relationship with social media. As his Instagram following rose sharply after the World Cup, he turned off notifications so that he would not keep checking the stream of new followers.
A difficult return to everyday life
For a player who had been relatively unknown beyond his usual football circles, the sudden exposure has required a difficult adjustment. Vozinha said it had not been simple to regain a sense of normality after the tournament.
He offered a blunt view of celebrity, saying that people often see only its appealing side. Given the choice between his current circumstances and the life he had before becoming an international name, he said he would choose the earlier one.
“Many people want fame and public visibility, but they only see the positive part,” he said. “Honestly, if I had to choose, I would choose the life I had before.”
Colo Colo and a continental ambition
His move to Colo Colo followed his performances for Cape Verde at the World Cup. Vozinha said the Santiago club showed the strongest interest in signing him, despite conversations elsewhere.
There were no firm offers from the United States, he said, while contacts with clubs in Saudi Arabia did not develop into an agreement. In Chile, his next target is clear: he wants to play Copa Libertadores football with Colo Colo.
The goalkeeper’s World Cup visibility also brought individual recognition. Vozinha has been named among the nominees for the Lev Yashin Award, presented to the world’s best goalkeeper, an acknowledgement he described as once unimaginable.
“I never thought this could happen,” he said. “It was unthinkable, but I am grateful to those who considered me. Being on that list is already a huge honour.”
