Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha’s stellar performance against Spain at the World Cup has skyrocketed his Instagram following to over 17 million, boosting his earning potential to R2.8 million per sponsored post. Picture: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP
Image: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP
The group stage of the Fifa World Cup is already ancient history, but a couple of the tournament’s biggest shock results continue to have a major impact off the pitch.
Ever since Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha produced a brilliant performance to help his side hold heavyweights Spain to a goalless draw on June 15, his popularity on Instagram has exploded.
The 40-year-old has gained more than 17 million new Instagram followers since the tournament began. As a result, his estimated earning potential has soared to around R2.8 million per sponsored post.
Vozinha had just 31,538 followers before the World Cup kicked off. That figure has now climbed to more than 17.2 million — and continues to rise.
He grabbed headlines with a string of outstanding saves against Spain, denying stars such as Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Fabián Ruiz as Cape Verde secured a famous point.
The usual suspects occupy second and third place for the most Instagram followers gained during the tournament. Argentina’s Lionel Messi is second after adding 4.5 million followers, while Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo is third with 4.2 million.
Those increases are relatively modest compared to their already enormous audiences. Ronaldo has around 670 million Instagram followers, while Messi has approximately 511 million.
Ronaldo remains the highest earner on the platform, with an estimated R110 million per sponsored post.
Meanwhile, Brazilian defender Douglas Santos has also enjoyed a remarkable surge in popularity, growing his Instagram following from 192,754 to 2.5 million — an increase of 1,199% since June 11, when the quadrennial showpiece got underway.
*Instagram figures provided by MyBettingSites.co.uk.