Vozinha’s Amazing Legend Keeps Growing With Yashin Nomination

Cape Verde’s goalkeeper #01 Vozinha celebrates with his national flag at the end of the 2026 World Cup Group H football match between Spain and Cape Verde at the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta on June 15, 2026. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

On June 14, a day before Cape Verde made its 2026 FIFA World Cup debut, Josimar Jose Evora Dias was just another veteran goalkeeper to the rest of the planet.

Let’s face it, the 40-year-old netminder probably was not known very well outside of his native Africa and his lower division clubs for which he competed.

Then came an amazing 19-day span in which the man better known to the world as Vozinha helped transform the minnows into the darling of the 48-team competition.

He kept a clean sheet in a scoreless draw against heavily favored Spain, which went on to capture its second World Cup.

He backstopped surprising Cape Verde to a 2-2 tie with Uruguay before blanking Saudi Arabia.

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Those three draws earned the unbeaten African side (0-0-3, 3 points) a second place finish in Group H, and confrontation with Argentina and the great Lionel Messi in the Round of 32. Vozinha kept Cape Verde alive, making several key saves. The Africans made the eventual World Cup finalists sweat to a 3-2 win in extra time on July 3.
Vozinha followers on Instagram dramatically increased from 100,000 to almost 30 million during the tournament. Many observers felt he should have been the selected the cup’s top goalkeeper.

He eventually was rewarded with an 18-month contract with Chilean powerhouse Colo Colo, on July 24.

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On Tuesday, Vozinha’s World Cup heroics reaped another honor as he was named one of 10 finalists of the prestigious Yashin Trophy as part of the Ballon D’Or awards. The trophy is awarded to the top goalkeeper in the world and named after the late Soviet Union great Lev Yashin. Yashin, who frustrated countless opponents during his legendary club and international career, is the only keeper to have won the Ballon D’Or.

Vozinha is joined on the impressive list with nine deserving candidates who have stood out for club and country. Unai Simon, who recorded six shutouts in Spain’s seven World Cup matches and earned the Golden Glove as the top goalie, also made the top 10.

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Yashin Trophy finalists

In alphabetical order, the finalists (club listed first, then country):

Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal and Morocco)

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid and Belgium)

Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund and Switzerland)

Joan Garcia (Barcelona and Spain)

Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli and Senegal)

Emiliano Martinez (Chelsea and Argentina)

David Raya (Arsenal and Spain)

Matvey Safonov (PSG and Russia)

Unai Simon (Athletic Club and Spain)

Vozinha (Colo Colo and Cape Verde)

Welcome to Santiago, Chile

Not surprisingly, there was much hullabaloo surrounding Vozinha’s signing in Chile.

When the Cape Verde star landed in Santiago, Chile on Aug. 2, hundreds of exuberant Colo Colo fans, with chants and flags, welcomed him to the country.

“I’m so happy to finally be here, and I can’t thank the fans enough for their patience,” Vozinha told EFE.

Colo Colo head coach Fernando Ortiz made it clear that Vozinha would have to earn the job. With regular keeper Fernando De Paul sidelined with an injury, 19-year-old Gabriel Maureira has been impressive in the net.

“It’s going to be a great competition between Vozinha, Gabriel, and the others who are here,” Ortiz said at a media conference before the goalkeeper’s arrival. “A big name won’t change my way of thinking; whoever deserves to play will play.”

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No goals in 180 minutes

So far, so good.

Vozinha, whose most recent club was Chaves in the Portuguese second division, sat the bench for the squad’s 2-1 win over Universidad de Chile on Aug. 23. He made his Colo Colo debut in a 3-0 triumph Union Espanola. in a Copa Chile match on Aug. 27.

On Sunday, Sept. 6, Vozinha made his first league appearance as he recorded another shutout for Colo Colo (17-3-2, 53 points) in a goalless tie with Huachipato. The team enjoys a 14-point lead over Universidad Catolica (12-7-3, 39) and Universidad de Chile (11-5-6, 39) in the Chilean Primera Division.

While Vozinha hasn’t allowed a goal in 180 minutes, he did give Colo Colo supporters a heart-stopping moment near the end of the opening half. He came out to catch a high cross and failed to control. A Huachipato player got off a shot that was cleared by defender Arturo Vidal. As it turned out, the play was called offside.

Hey, nobody’s perfect, not even Vozinha.

Colo Colo’s next match is at home against eighth-place Deportes Concepcion (9-10-3, 30) on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Whether Vozinha has earned another start this weekend, it remains to be seen.

It is too early in the week for many coaches to post a Starting XI and game roster.

The long list of FIFA awards traditionally get whittled down to the top three or five finalists. So, we don’t know if Vozinha will be in London for the Oct. 26 awards ceremony.

It is likely a longshot.

If he is a finalist and even wins the honor, that would be a fitting ending to a fairy tale year for the Cape Verde star.

In many respects, Vozinha already has won, winning fans worldwide and demonstrating what an individual can accomplish when one puts his mind – and hands to it.

Michael Lewis, the sixth recipient of the Clay Berling Media Career of Excellence Award in 2025, can be followed on X an Bluesky at @Soccerwriter. His 10th soccer book, Around the World Cup in 40 Years: An American sportswriter’s perspective, has been published.