A 40-year-old goalkeeper named Josimar just did what no one outside Cape Verde thought possible. He shut out Spain.
Josimar Dias, known as Vozinha, made seven saves in a historic 0-0 draw on June 15, becoming the oldest goalkeeper to record a clean sheet on a World Cup debut. Cape Verde, a nation of roughly 600,000 people, earned its first-ever point in World Cup history.
His Instagram following ballooned from somewhere around 40,000-50,000 to an estimated 5-12 million in the days after the match.
The visa story that made it personal
Dias had publicly expressed disappointment that his mother couldn’t attend the World Cup due to visa complications. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries stepped in on June 17, confirming that the State Department waived the visa fee and a $15,000 bond so she could fly to Miami for Cape Verde’s next match against Uruguay.
