Born in his hometown of San Vicente, Cape Verde, Vosinha has been his uniform name throughout his club career.
Published June 16, 2026
Cape Verde goalkeeper Bosinha broke down in tears in the final moments of Spain’s 0-0 draw with his team-mates after denying the European champions victory in their opening World Cup game and being mopped up by his team-mates after a brilliant performance.
Cape Verde were glued to their own half for much of Monday’s game, but Vosinha came to the rescue every time Spain broke through their stubborn rearguard.
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His heroic performance saw him make a series of saves to deny Ferran Torres, Pedri and Aymeric Laporte towards the end of the first half, and he was named Player of the Match.
Here’s what we know about the Cape Verdean goalkeeper.
Where does Vosinya play?
Vosinha is Chavez’s goalkeeper in Portugal’s second division soccer league.
Although the World Cup is the biggest stage he has reached, Vosinha started his club career at home with Batuque FC before moving to CS Mindelense.
The veteran player’s experience comes from the countless clubs he represented before coming to Chavez, from Angola’s Progreso to Moldova’s Jimbul Chisinau, Portugal’s Gil Vicente, Cyprus’ AEL Limassol and Slovakia’s AS Trencin.
Is Vosinya her real name?
No, Vosinha is the nickname of Josimar José Évora Díaz. It came from his grandparents, with whom he spent most of his time, as his father was in the military and his mother worked. The name is noteworthy because it means “little grandma” in Portuguese.
Vosinha became his jersey name during his nomadic club pilgrimage across Africa and Europe from his hometown of San Vicente, Cape Verde.
“When I arrived in Angola, there was another goalkeeper named Josimar, so I said, ‘I’m not going to let you wear the Josimar II uniform.’ If everyone knew me as Vosinha from Cape Verde, that’s what I would have been,” he said in an interview with FIFA earlier this year.
What did Bosinha say after the match?
The Cape Verde keeper was brought to tears after his heroic and fairy-tale World Cup debut.
“I’m very proud… It’s an honor to represent my country,” Bosinha told reporters from his island nation, the third smallest country to qualify for the World Cup.
“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents, but unfortunately they weren’t here. They passed away a few years ago and they did everything for me and my life,” he added.
“And mom, I couldn’t come here because of my visa. I didn’t have the money for my visa in time, so I want you to come here.”
Is Vosinya world famous now?
Yes, in all respects.
The goalkeeper’s Instagram followers soared from just 500,000 to nearly 5 million within hours of the start of the full-time game against Spain.
His quiet brilliance was spotlighted on the world’s biggest stage for everyone to see.
French football star Paul Pogba praised Bosinha on social media after the match.
“The Cape Verde goalkeeper is a really good player, wow,” he wrote.
