Somehow, Vozinha made it. Josimar José Évora Dias, born 40 years ago in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente in Cape Verde, arrived just in time at the London Palladium on Monday night to claim his unlikely place among the goalkeepers of the year. His Yashin Trophy nomination at the Ballon d'Or was not for his club play with Chaves in Liga Portugal 2 or his mostly ceremonial arrival at Chilean club Colo-Colo. It was an acknowledgment of his star turn at this summer's World Cup, where he shut out eventual champions Spain in Cape Verde's opener and pushed eventual finalists Argentina to the brink in the round of 32.
In the days that followed, his Instagram follower count grew from 56,000 to 27.7 million, and fans voted him the starting goalkeeper for FIFA's Dream XI. Vozinha, whose nickname is the Portuguese word for "granny," had become a symbol for everyone who refuses to give up on long-unrealized hopes. On Sunday, in a league match for Colo-Colo, he made three spectacular saves in a 1-1 draw with Palestino before racing to Santiago's airport and flying through Madrid to reach London just six hours before the ceremony began.
At the Palladium he signed more autographs than most and asked for photos with Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and veteran manager Fabio Capello, acting more like a fan than a colleague. He wore the expression that had endeared him to millions: wide-eyed and a little wet-eyed, taking in the moment while marveling at it.
In a recent interview with The Observer, Vozinha said the burdens of his sudden fame have outweighed its gifts. "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."
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing