Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha said he preferred his life before the sudden fame brought by his standout performances at the 2026 World Cup.

The 40-year-old's profile soared after he made seven saves to help Cape Verde hold eventual champions Spain to a goalless draw in their opening match of the tournament.

Before the Spain game, Vozinha had around 56,000 Instagram followers. His following passed 1 million by full time and surged to around 14 million within days.

"A member of the team's catering staff came up to me and told me I had a billion followers," he told The Observer.

"I had no idea what he was talking about; I thought he was joking, but he insisted.

"Later, I went to do some interviews in the mixed zone and a CazeTV journalist asked me if I knew what was happening. She showed me her phone and that was when I saw that I had more than a million followers."

Vozinha said the attention that followed came at a cost.

"I've lost my peace and tranquillity," he said.

"A lot of people want to be famous and have a public profile, but they only see the positive side of that reality," Vozinha said.

"To be honest, if I were offered the life I have today or the life I had before, I'd choose the one I had before."

Vozinha said he also had far less privacy than before the tournament.

"I no longer have any privacy, or at least much less than I used to. Now I go out, 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 is filming me. That's what has changed most in my life, and I don't think there's anything I can do about it."

His World Cup performances also earned him a place among the 10 nominees for the 2026 Yashin Trophy, the Ballon d'Or award for the world's best goalkeeper.

"I never imagined it could happen," Vozinha said. "It was unthinkable, but I'm grateful to those who thought of me. Just being on that list is already a great honour." (AA)