Josimar José Évora Dias, known across the football world simply as Vozinha, spent years as an unlikely name in the sport. Born in Mindelo on the island of Cape Verde, he worked as an electrician before turning professional at 26, building a career through Angola, Moldova, Cyprus, and Portugal, far from any spotlight. At 40, he became the captain and goalkeeper of Cape Verde’s national team, the first in the country’s history to reach a FIFA World Cup.

A World Cup to remember

Vozinha turned that debut into one of the standout stories of the tournament. He held European champions Spain to a scoreless draw in the group opener with seven saves, then kept Cape Verde unbeaten through draws with Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. His run ended against Argentina in the round of 32, an extra-time defeat in which he still made eight saves, including a stop on a Messi free kick, finishing the tournament with 18 saves on 23 shots faced.

Read more: Sofascore Was Live at Fanatics Fest NYC: The Recap

From obscurity to the world’s most followed goalkeeper

The performances did more than win matches. Vozinha’s following exploded during the tournament, and by the time Cape Verde’s run ended he had overtaken Iker Casillas, Thibaut Courtois, and Manuel Neuer to become the most followed goalkeeper on the planet.

Sitting down with Sofascore at Fanatics Fest NYC, he talked about what the run meant to him. He said he could barely process how much popularity it brought him, going from a name few outside Cape Verde could place to one of the most recognized goalkeepers in the world. He spoke about how proud he was of his teammates and of the way the whole squad performed, pointing out that before the World Cup, by his own estimate, barely one in ten people could find Cape Verde on a map. Now the whole world knows exactly where it is.

The conversation was part of Sofascore’s presence at Fanatics Fest, where the team spent four days on the ground with athletes, leagues, and fans at the center of the sports world’s biggest weekend.