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Vozinha after best goalkeeper nomination: “It is not only mine, I carry Cabo Verde with me”

From El Deber · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha said his nomination for the 2026 Yashin Trophy represents San Vicente, Cape Verde and his country’s people.
  • He earned worldwide attention after helping Cape Verde reach the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, including a scoreless draw against Spain.
  • The 40-year-old, who now plays for Chilean club Colo-Colo, was nominated alongside several leading international goalkeepers.

For Vozinha, a nomination for the 2026 Yashin Trophy is too large to claim as a personal achievement. “This nomination is not only mine. I carry San Vicente, Cape Verde, and an entire people who never stopped believing,” the goalkeeper wrote on Instagram.

This nomination is not only mine. I carry San Vicente, Cape Verde, and an entire people who never stopped believing.

· VozinhaThe goalkeeper described his Yashin Trophy nomination as a recognition shared with his homeland and its people.

The 40-year-old said seeing his name among the Ballon d’Or nominees was difficult to put into words. He recalled where he came from, the sacrifices and hardships he had faced, and everyone who had accompanied him. He also thanked God, his family, his teammates and all those who had formed part of his journey.

Vozinha became a global name through his performances at the 2026 World Cup with Cape Verde, the African team’s first appearance at the tournament. Cape Verde reached the round of 32 before losing a close match to Argentina. Vozinha kept Spain scoreless in the group stage, then played in a 2-2 draw with Uruguay, a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia and a narrow 3-2 defeat to Argentina.

There are moments that seem too big, until the day we realize that the whole journey was worth it. Today, seeing my name among the Ballon d’Or nominees is difficult to express in words.

· VozinhaHe expressed his emotion after being named among the nominees for the goalkeeper award.

His World Cup performances made him internationally famous, and his Instagram following grew to nearly 30 million. He later joined Colo-Colo after leaving Portugal’s second-division club Chaves as a free agent. The Chilean club celebrated the nomination, calling him “a Cacique nominated for goalkeeper of the year.”

Grateful to God, my family, my teammates and everyone who was part of this journey. Always with my feet on the ground and my heart in my homeland. Thank you, Cape Verde. Thank you, world.

· VozinhaHe closed his message by thanking those who supported his career.

The other nominees listed alongside Vozinha were Spain’s Unai Simón, David Raya, Joan García, Argentina’s Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez and Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois.

A Cacique nominated for goalkeeper of the year. Our Albo goalkeeper, Vozinha, has been nominated for the award.

· Colo-ColoThe Chilean club celebrated its goalkeeper’s nomination on social media.
About this summary

Originally published by El Deber in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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