Cape Verde's 40-Year-Old Goalkeeper Vodjinha Gains 11.6 Million Instagram Followers After World Cup Debut Performance

Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper Vodjinha has become an unexpected star of the North American World Cup after his commanding performance in the team's opening match against Spain on June 15, 2026. Playing in his nation's first-ever World Cup appearance, Vodjinha was named man of the match as Cape Verde secured a 0-0 draw—their first World Cup point. The achievement has catapulted his Instagram following from approximately 50,000 to over 11.6 million followers in just days, making him one of the tournament's most talked-about players.

At 40 years old, Vodjinha ranks as the seventh-oldest player in the entire tournament. His real name is Jojimar Dias, chosen by his parents in honor of the Brazilian right-back Jojimar who impressed at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. The nickname "Vodjinha," which means "cute little grandmother" or "little grandmother" in Portuguese, carries personal significance rooted in his childhood. Raised primarily by his grandparents after his father joined the military and his mother had to work, young Vodjinha would repeatedly lose at football to older neighborhood children and cry to his grandmother, eventually earning the affectionate nickname that stuck throughout his life.

Vodjinha began his professional career in 2009 with Batatoka FC on his native island of São Vicente in Cape Verde. His career has taken him across multiple continents, including stints at Portugal's Guarda-Redes (2016), Cyprus's AEL Limasol (2017), and Slovakia's AS Trenčín (2022). He earned his debut for the Cape Verde national team in 2012, making his World Cup appearance 14 years later at an age when most professional athletes have retired. His outstanding defensive display against Spain—one of world football's traditional powerhouses—has made him an international celebrity, overshadowing even some of the tournament's biggest-name strikers in terms of recent media attention.