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\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Vozinha<\/strong> has become one of the breakout stars of the 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n The 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper went viral during the tournament after helping lead his country through a historic run in its first-ever World Cup appearance.<\/p>\n Cape Verde\u2019s journey came to an end on Friday (July 3) after a dramatic 3-2 extra-time loss to Argentina in the Round of 32, but Vozinha<\/strong> still delivered another standout performance against Lionel Messi and the defending champions.<\/p>\n Vozinha<\/strong> is not the goalkeeper\u2019s real name.<\/p>\n His full name is Josimar Jos\u00e9 \u00c9vora Dias<\/strong>. His father previously explained that he was named after Josimar<\/strong>, the Brazilian defender who played for Brazil at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.<\/p>\n \u201cThey always support me in everything I do, so having my mother here is something special. My father is here too, and my brother as well, so I\u2019m very happy,\u201d the athlete said.<\/p>\n \u201cI watched the matches and fell in love with the Brazilian national team,\u201d he shared, per ABC News<\/a>. \u201cI really enjoyed it and there were a few players who stood out; one of them was Josimar<\/strong>, a right-back, who scored two goals and really made his mark at that World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n Vozinha<\/strong>\u2018s nickname is widely translated<\/a> as \u201clittle granny\u201d or \u201cgranny\u201d in Portuguese.<\/p>\n The nickname is tied to his grandparents, who helped raise him while his father was serving in the military and his mother was working.<\/p>\n The name also stuck once he began his professional career. Vozinha<\/strong> said in a previous FIFA interview that when he arrived in Angola, there was already another goalkeeper named Josimar<\/strong>, and he didn\u2019t want to use \u201cJosimar II<\/strong>\u201d on his shirt<\/a> and kept the name everyone knew him by in Cape Verde.<\/p>\n Vozinha<\/strong> became a World Cup fan favorite after Cape Verde\u2019s 0-0 draw against Spain earlier in the tournament. He made seven saves in that match, helping Cape Verde earn a historic result against one of the tournament favorites. He later helped the team reach the knockout stage, where Cape Verde pushed Argentina to extra time before being eliminated.<\/p>\n Catch up with all of the latest news and updates about the 2026 World Cup<\/a> right here!<\/p>\n Posted To:2026 World Cup<\/a> Sports<\/a> Vozinha<\/a> World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Vozinha](\"https:\/\/www.justjared.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/vozinha-02.jpg\")
2<\/span><\/a>What is Vozinha\u2019s real name?<\/h3>\n
2<\/span><\/a>What does Vozinha mean?<\/h3>\n
Why is Vozinha going viral right now?<\/h3>\n