Vozinha’s nomadic career has taken him from his homeland to Angola, Moldova, Cyprus and Slovakia before his latest move to Portugal.
And he now has a legion of new fans.
In just a few hours, his Instagram account ballooned from a mere 50,000 followers to two million.
Cape Verde coach Bubista paid tribute to one of his most experienced players, who on his 89th cap finally reached the biggest stage in world football.
“He was overcome with emotion. He has a lot of experience and has given so much to get to this stage. They were tears of resilience,” said Bubista.
“He has spent many years with us. I normally do not like to comment on individuals, but he had a great performance.
“He was the best player on the pitch but I think we were defensively very strong and he is there to help the team.”