Vozinha begins new chapter with Colo-Colo after World Cup heroics

Josimar Dias, better known as Vozinha, has joined Chilean club Colo-Colo after receiving a hero’s welcome from supporters in Santiago. The 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper arrives in South America with his international reputation at its highest following a remarkable 2026 World Cup campaign.

Vozinha, the experienced goalkeeper and captain of Cape Verde’s national side, was greeted with huge enthusiasm by fans of the country’s most decorated club. His arrival represents a symbolic new stage in a long career, with Colo-Colo expecting his experience, leadership and personality to help drive the squad towards the top of the Chilean championship.

The scale of the reception reflects the impact Vozinha made at the World Cup. He was one of the central figures in Cape Verde’s historic run at their first appearance in the competition, helping the Blue Sharks reach the round of 32.

His performances earned widespread attention, particularly for a series of decisive saves and interventions that helped Cape Verde frustrate Spain in a memorable 0-0 draw. Vozinha’s displays established him as one of the tournament’s standout goalkeepers and turned him into a symbol of his country’s progress on the world stage.

He was subsequently selected in the supporters’ team of the tournament, further underlining the impression he made during the competition. His profile also grew sharply away from the pitch, with his Instagram following rising to nearly 17.4 million.

That new international recognition has followed him to Santiago, where supporters have embraced him as more than a high-profile signing. Vozinha arrives carrying the image of a determined captain and a defensive barrier who played a major role in Cape Verde’s historic World Cup story.

For Colo-Colo, his signing brings an established figure into a club whose stature in Chile has created significant expectations around the move. At 40, Vozinha is beginning this South American chapter with the responsibility of providing authority in the dressing room as well as security in goal.

The club will hope his experience can guide the squad during its pursuit of success in the domestic championship. For the goalkeeper, the move offers an opportunity to continue a career that has entered a fresh phase after his performances made him one of the most recognisable figures of the 2026 World Cup.

His first steps in Chile have already made a strong impression. Welcomed as a hero by Colo-Colo’s supporters, Vozinha now begins life at the club with the attention generated by Cape Verde’s historic tournament still firmly behind him.