Cape Verde goalkeeper Josimar Dias, better known as Vozinha, has signed for Chilean giants Colo Colo following his standout displays at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 40-year-old shot-stopper captained the Blue Sharks through their historic tournament debut and produced a series of spectacular saves that denied Argentina and Spain.
He secured a clean sheet against eventual champions Spain, earned player-of-the-match honours, and later made eight saves in a dramatic 3-2 extra-time defeat to Argentina in the Round of 32.
Those performances turned him into one of the competition’s breakout stars and propelled his social media following from under 50,000 to nearly 29 million.
Colo Colo wasted no time capitalising on the moment. The club teased the arrival on its social media channels with an image highlighting the veteran’s trademark curly hair and posted a multilingual welcome: “Bienvenido. Welcome. Bem-vindo. We look forward to seeing you at the Monumental Stadium.”
The message sparked immediate excitement among Colo Colo supporters and Chilean football fans still reeling from their national team’s failure to reach a third consecutive World Cup.
Aníbal Mosa, president of Blanco y Negro, the company that runs the club, confirmed the deal on Saturday. “Vozinha is going to be a Colo Colo player,” Mosa stated.
“In the next few days, he will travel to Chile, undergo the necessary medical examinations, and then be presented here at the Estadio Monumental.” Mosa noted that the goalkeeper’s World Cup form secured the move while also boosting the club’s commercial profile.
Colo Colo stands as Chile’s most successful and popular football club. Founded in 1925 by David Arellano in Santiago, the side known as “El Cacique” has never suffered relegation from the Primera División.
It holds a record 34 league titles, 14 Copa Chile trophies, and remains the only Chilean team to lift the Copa Libertadores, triumphing in 1991. The club plays its home matches at the imposing Estadio Monumental David Arellano.
Vozinha brings a wealth of experience to the Chilean capital. Born in Mindelo on 3 June 1986, he built his career across multiple continents.
He made 51 league appearances for Angolan side Progresso do Sambizanga, 26 for Moldova’s Zimbru Chișinău, 28 for Portugal’s Gil Vicente, a club-record 116 for Cyprus’s AEL Limassol (where he won the Cypriot Cup), 34 for Slovakia’s AS Trenčín, and 51 for Portugal’s Chaves. Internationally he has earned 94 caps for Cape Verde without conceding a goal of his own, establishing himself as one of the nation’s most capped players.