Players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane, among others, are some of the most recognizable names in the world for both casual and hardcore fans alike.Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts after scoring his third goal during the World Cup Group J match against Algeria in Kansas City, Mo., on June 16, 2026.(Ed Zurga/AP Photo)But there's one player that you may be forgetting.
A man who has rocketed to superstardom practically overnight based on the merits of his performance against a global soccer superpower.That man is none other than Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, whose scintillating seven-save masterpiece against Spain earlier this week has grown his social media follower count from one measured in the thousands to tens of millions in a little more than three days.CAPE VERDE SHOCKS SPAIN WITH SCORELESS DRAW AT WORLD CUPAs of writing, the 40-year-old has over 13.5 million followers on Instagram alone, making him one of the most recognizable social media presences in the world.Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha celebrates a 0-0 draw during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15, 2026.(Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press)Truly mind-bending stuff for a guy no one outside a few pockets of the soccer world knew about just seven days ago, but it gets even crazier when you realize just how popular he is, as well as the stars he's passed up along the way.As I wrote about earlier this week, Vozinha surpassed Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes and his 6.4 million Instagram followers just 24 hours after guiding Cape Verde to a 0-0 draw against Spain.LIONEL MESSI'S GREATNESS SHINES WITH WORLD CUP HAT TRICK AGAINST ALGERIAWhat you may not know is that he also has a sizable follower lead on guys like NBA champion Jalen Brunson, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and world No.
1 tennis star Jannik Sinner.At this rate, he's even on pace to catch the great Tom Brady, who sits at a staggering 15.4 million followers on Ins...