Vozinha dedicates Ballon d’Or nomination to Cabo Verde: ‘The journey was worth it’

For Vozinha, a place among the nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or goalkeeper award is more than a personal achievement. The Colo-Colo goalkeeper dedicated the nomination for the Lev Yashin Trophy to Cabo Verde, remembering the journey that took him from San Vicente to the world stage.

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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. I remember where I come from, everything I have been through, the sacrifices, the difficulties, and everyone who walked alongside me.

“There are moments that seem too big, until the day we realize that the whole journey was worth it,” Josimar Dias wrote on Instagram. He said seeing his name among the Ballon d’Or nominees was difficult to express in words.

Vozinha also recalled where he came from, the experiences he had endured, the sacrifices and difficulties, and the people who had accompanied him along the way. “This nomination is not only mine. I carry San Vicente, Cabo Verde, and an entire people who never stopped believing in me,” he said.

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

He thanked God, his family, his teammates and everyone who had formed part of the journey. “Always with my feet on the ground and my heart in my homeland. Thank you, Cabo Verde. Thank you, world,” he concluded. The goalkeeper has gained global recognition through his career.

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Always with my feet on the ground and my heart in my homeland. Thank you, Cabo Verde. Thank you, world.