Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has admitted that the price of becoming a global football star has been the loss of the privacy and peace he once took for granted.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper, who became one of the faces of Cape Verde’s historic World Cup campaign, told The Observer, as reported by Reuters, that he would prefer his life before his sudden rise to international fame.
“I’ve lost my peace and tranquillity. I no longer have any privacy,” Vozinha said.
His new reality has made ordinary activities increasingly difficult. He said trips to restaurants are often interrupted by supporters asking for photographs and autographs, while others record him without his permission.
“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’s filming me,” he said.
Vozinha’s profile soared after his performances at Cape Verde’s first World Cup appearance. He helped the African side keep clean sheets against eventual champions Spain and Saudi Arabia before they progressed to the knockout stage.
Cape Verde’s historic run eventually ended with a 3-2 defeat to Argentina, but Vozinha’s performances had already made him an international figure.
The scale of his newfound popularity was reflected in his social media numbers. His Instagram following reportedly increased from about 56,000 to more than 28 million, while his World Cup performances earned him a nomination for the Yashin Trophy for the world’s best goalkeeper.
However, the attention has extended beyond the footballer himself and into his family’s private life.
According to Vozinha, supporters now visit his mother’s home in Cape Verde regularly in search of photographs and conversations with his family. He said he has been unable to personally help his parents manage the situation because he is not always there.
“I’m not there so I can’t help them. They have to learn with the situation and set boundaries,” he said.
Vozinha also recalled the moment he first realised just how dramatically his popularity had changed. Shortly after one of Cape Verde’s World Cup matches, a member of the team’s catering staff told him that his social media following had surged to more than one million.
Initially believing the man was joking, Vozinha only understood what had happened when a CazéTV journalist showed him the figures on her phone in the mixed zone.
Despite the opportunities that fame can bring, the goalkeeper said people often overlook its difficult side.
“A lot of people want to be famous and have a public profile, but they only see the positive side of that reality,” he said.
Vozinha left Portuguese second-tier club Chaves in July for Chilean side Colo-Colo as his international profile continued to grow.
Yet for all the recognition that has followed his World Cup heroics, the goalkeeper’s preferred choice remains clear: “If I were offered the life I have today or the life I had before, I’d choose the one I had before.”
