Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozhinha admitted he is struggling with his newfound fame after a standout performance at the 2026 World Cup.
The 40-year-old saw his profile explode after helping Cape Verde to the knockout stage at its first-ever World Cup. His performance in a 0-0 draw with eventual champion Spain to kick off the tournament helped him turn into a viral sensation.
After entering the World Cup as a relative unknown, Vozinha boosted his Instagram following from less than 100,000 to nearly 30 million as the tournament went on.
Earlier this month, Vozinha was nominated for the men's Goalkeeper of the Year award at the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
After a club career that has seen stops in Portugal, Cyprus and Slovakia, Vozinha signed with Chilean powerhouse
Colo-Colo after the World Cup.
The goalkeeper said that his life in Chile can be difficult at times, particularly when he goes out in public.
“I’ve lost my peace and tranquillity,” Vozinha told The Observer newspaper.
“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.”
He added: “A lot of people want to be famous and have a public profile, but they only see the positive side of that reality. 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.”
Vozinha's mother became a story during the World Cup as well after she was initially unable to afford a visa to enter the United States to see her son play. After a push on social media, she eventually was granted a visa.
The goalkeeper said supporters now turn up at his mother's home in Cape Verde on a daily basis.
"I'm not there so I can't help them [his parents]. They have to learn with the situation and set boundaries," he said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vozhinha admits struggles with World Cup fame: 'I'd choose the life I had before'
