Vozinha Joins Colo Colo: World Cup Hero's Remarkable Move at 40

Colo Colo are betting on experience, charisma and a World Cup fairytale. At 40, Vozinha – the goalkeeper who helped turn Cape Verde into one of the stories of the tournament – is heading to Santiago.

The Chilean giants confirmed the deal on Friday, with club president Aníbal Mosa outlining the plan before a league match at the Estadio Monumental.

“Vozinha is set to become a Colo Colo player; he will arrive in Chile in the coming days, undergo the necessary medical tests and will then be presented here at the Monumental Stadium,” Mosa told reporters.

A veteran arrives with fresh legend attached.

Vozinha, full name Josimar Jose Evora Dias, was at the heart of Cape Verde’s astonishing World Cup run. He shut out eventual champions Spain in a gritty 0-0 draw in the group stage, then pushed Argentina to the brink in a dramatic 3-2 extra-time defeat in the knock-out rounds. Those performances turned him from a solid professional into a global storyline.

Now he swaps the Portuguese second division for Chile’s biggest stage. The move takes him from Chaves to Colo Colo, 34-time champions and currently cruising at the top of the table midway through the season.

Mosa made it clear this is no sentimental signing.

“He’s in very good form; that’s why we’re signing him,” the president said, cutting straight to the point.

The journey that brings Vozinha to Macul is anything but conventional. He did not sign his first professional contract until he was 26, a late start in a position where many are groomed from their teens. From there, he built a career on the road: Cyprus, Slovakia, Moldova, Angola, and Portugal. No glamour, no shortcuts. Just years of hard miles and quiet consistency.

Then came the World Cup – and everything changed.

On the pitch, his reflex saves and big-game composure carried Cape Verde into the global spotlight. Off it, he became a phenomenon. With a big push from Brazilian influencer Casimiro, his Instagram following exploded, leaping from around 50,000 to nearly 30 million. A goalkeeper from a small island nation suddenly sat in the same social media stratosphere as global superstars.

Colo Colo now inherit not only a seasoned shot-stopper but a player with enormous reach and a ready-made fanbase stretching far beyond Chile and Cape Verde.

For a club already in control of the domestic race, this move speaks to ambition beyond the current table. A leader in the dressing room, a World Cup-tested presence in goal, and a name that resonates from Praia to Santiago – Vozinha arrives as more than just another signing.