For Vozinha, this moment had been a lifetime in the making.
Born Josimar Dias, the Cape Verde goalkeeper has spent his entire career chasing the dream of playing at a World Cup.
When it finally arrived, it came with history attached. At 40 years and 12 days, he became the oldest player to appear in a nation’s debut World Cup match, surpassing the record set on Sunday by Curacao’s Eloy Room.
In fact, only Egypt’s Essam El Hadary was older when making their World Cup debut.
It is a remarkable milestone in a career defined by perseverance.
“I started playing professional football when I was 25 years old, in 2012. It was too late for a person like me,” said Vozinha.
“I thought about leaving the national team, but then I continued because of this dream.
“The performance is a performance for everyone. I am the man of the game, but this award is for all my colleagues, because without them, nothing is possible. And I will continue to work for the team and for the people.”
Cape Verde lies nearly 600km off the west coast of Africa, a beautiful but isolated archipelago where opportunities for young footballers are limited. Growing up in Mindelo, Vozinha faced challenges from the outset.
“I was one of the best keepers on my island, but I was small,” he recalled. “Even when I performed well, I wasn’t selected because of my height.”
Like many players before him, he eventually left for Portugal, the country’s former colonial power, in search of opportunity. That decision marked the beginning of a career that would take him across Slovakia, Angola, Moldova and Cyprus. Now Vozinha plays with Portuguese second-tier side Chaves.
Even Vozinha’s name carries a piece of footballing history. His father had hoped to call him ‘Valdano’, after the Argentina and Real Madrid great Jorge Valdano, but the Cape Verde authorities refused. Instead, he was named Josimar after the Brazil defender who rose to prominence at the 1986 World Cup.
Decades later, on another World Cup stage, Vozinha has created history of his own.
