Vozinha earns Goalkeeper of the Year nomination at Ballon d’Or

On Sep 8, 2026

Vozinha’s fairytale year continued on Tuesday, Sept. 8 as he was nominated for the men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award at the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

The 40-year-old became a household name with his heroics for Cape Verde at the 2026 World Cup, most memorably in a 0-0 draw with eventual champion Spain to kick off the tournament.

Cape Verde made it past the group stage in the country’s first World Cup, losing to Argentina in an epic round of 32 match.

Vozinha was a relative unknown name leading into the World Cup, but famously boosted his Instagram following from less than 100,000 to nearly 30 million as the tournament went on.

After a club career that has seen stops in Portugal, Cyprus and Slovakia, Vozinha signed with Chilean powerhouse Colo-Colo after the World Cup.

Vozinha is unlikely to actually win the Goalkeeper of the Year award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Oct. 26, but his nomination is still an achievement he could have only dreamed of at the beginning of 2026.

Among the other nominees are three Spanish goalkeepers, including World Cup Golden Glove winner Unai Simon.

Below is a full list of the nominees.

Full list of men’s Goalkeeper of the Year nominees

Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal & Morocco)
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid & Belgium)
Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund & Switzerland)
Joan Garcia (Barcelona & Spain)
Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli & Senegal)
Emiliano Martinez (Chelsea & Argentina)
David Raya (Arsenal & Spain)
Matvey Safonov (PSG & Russia)
Unai Simon (Athletic Club & Spain)
Vozinha (Colo Colo & Cape Verde)

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Argentine players Lionel Messi (R) and Fabricio Coloccini sign autographs for supporters during a training session at Herzogs Park, Herzogenaurach on June 6, 2006, ahead of the Fifa World Cup 2006.

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(KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, AFP via Getty Images)

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(Matthias Hangst, Getty Images)

Lionel Messi of Argentina is fouled by Wojciech Szczesny of Poland which leads to a penalty during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Poland and Argentina at Stadium 974 on Nov. 30, 2022 in Doha, Qatar.

(Matthias Hangst, Getty Images)

Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi celebrates after he scores his team’s second goal from the penalty spot during the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match between The Netherlands and Argentina at Lusail Stadium, north of Doha on Dec. 9, 2022.

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(EMILIANO LASALVIA, AFP via Getty Images)

Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with teammates after scoring the team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on Dec.18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar.

(Richard Heathcote, Getty Images)

Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi kicks the ball during the Qatar 2022 World Cup final football match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on Dec. 18, 2022.

(KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, AFP via Getty Images)

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(Julian Finney, Getty Images)

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Lionel Messi of Argentina lifts the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on Dec.18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar.

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Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match between Argentina and Algeria at Kansas City Stadium on June 16, 2026 in Kansas City, Mo.

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Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal against Algeria on June 16, 2026 in Kansas City, Mo.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vozinha earns Goalkeeper of the Year nomination at Ballon d’Or

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