GUADALAJARA, Mexico (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 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.
