Cape Verde's Vozinha becomes an Instagram sensation

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) makes a save during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta. ( AP)

GUADALAJARA, Mexico, June 17 (AP): When shown the number of Instagram followers he had gained after helping tiny Cape Verde hold off powerhouse Spain in his team's World Cup debut, 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha gasped and laughed, in shock.

He was speaking shortly after Monday's stunning 0-0 draw in Atlanta against the European champions, when he had gone from about 50,000 followers to more than 1 million. Less than 24 hours after the game, Vozinha already had nearly 10 million Instagram followers - more than NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama (6.2 million) and NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes (6.4 million).

"Crazy, that's crazy,” Vozinha told Brazilian YouTube channel CazéTV after the match that turned him into the biggest new name of the World Cup so far. It was CazéTV, the only channel in Brazil with the rights to all 104 World Cup games, that was taking credit for the huge surge in followers. CazéTV is anchored by the popular Brazilian streamer Casimiro Miguel, known as Cazé. The channel has more than 31 million subscribers on YouTube and is known for sports broadcasts marked by a more informal and conversational approach, with a focus on community-based fan engagement. While watching Vozinha's performance during the broadcast, Cazé realized that the goalkeeper did not have many Instagram followers and began asking his audience to start following him.

Spain, one of the World Cup favorites, was widely expected to cruise past the tournament debutants. But La Roja could not find a way past Vozinha and a stubborn defense that had an answer to everything Spain’s superstars threw at them. "Normally we ask for subscribers,” Cazé said. "We are not going to ask for subscribers today; we are going to ask for followers.