Cabo Verde is set to open its first World Cup against Spain on 15 June 2026, and the man in the middle of that moment is Vozinha. The 40-year-old goalkeeper, whose given name is Josimar José Évora Dias, is due to make his 90th appearance for the national team at the Stadium of Atlanta.
That is why his name is drawing so much attention now. Vozinha is not just any squad member; he is one of the oldest players in the tournament and the second-most capped player in Cabo Verde history, behind Ryan Mendes on 96 appearances. For a team entering the World Cup for the first time, the veteran keeper carries more than gloves and experience. He carries memory.
His nickname came from childhood, when he played in the street, and Josimar was raised by his grandparents. The name on his shirt also points back to Josimar Higino Pereira, the former Botafogo and Seleção Brasileira defender who was called into Brazil’s 1986 World Cup side after Édson Boaro was injured. Pereira scored against Northern Ireland and Poland in his first two matches for Brazil and later helped Botafogo win the Campeonato Carioca of 1989.
Vozinha’s own path has been built far from home and across several clubs, including Progresso, Zimbru Chisinau, AEL Limassol, AS Trencin and Gil Vicente. He ended his contract with CD Chaves in Portugal before the World Cup, which leaves a sharp edge to his story: Cabo Verde is leaning on a 40-year-old without a club as it steps onto the biggest stage in the sport.
That is what makes his presence at the Stadium of Atlanta more than a ceremonial nod to longevity. Cabo Verde needs experience as much as it needs debut-day energy, and Vozinha provides both in one figure. If he takes the field against Spain, it will be the 90th match of a national-team career that has become part of the country’s first World Cup chapter.
