Vozinha Becomes First Cape Verdean Nominated for Ballon d'Or Award

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has received a historic nomination at the 2026 Ballon d'Or awards. The 40-year-old earned a place on the 10-man shortlist for the Men's Goalkeeper of the Year award, commonly known as the Yashin Trophy. He is the first Cape Verdean footballer nominated for any award at the Ballon d'Or ceremony. Vozinha is not competing for the main men's Ballon d'Or player award. His nomination is specifically for the goalkeeper prize. His full name is Josimar José Évora Dias. The goalkeeper received the recognition following his performances for Cape Verde during the country's first World Cup appearance. Vozinha made seven saves as Cape Verde held eventual champions Spain to a goalless draw. He also made eight saves against Argentina in the round of 32. Cape Verde lost the match 3-2 after extra time. He finished the tournament with 18 saves across four appearances. His displays earned him a place in the fan-voted World Cup dream team. Vozinha played for Portuguese club GD Chaves during the 2025-26 season before joining Chilean club Colo-Colo. The official Ballon d'Or record lists him with 30 appearances, 13 clean sheets and 35 goals conceded during the assessment period. The nine other nominees are: Yassine Bounou Thibaut Courtois Joan García Gregor Kobel Emiliano Martínez Édouard Mendy David Raya Matvey Safonov Unai Simón Three African goalkeepers made the shortlist. Vozinha joins Morocco's Bounou and Senegal's Mendy. An international panel of football journalists will select the winner. Each voter will choose three goalkeepers. Their first choice receives five points, the second receives three points and the third receives one point. The goalkeeper with the highest total will win the award. The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place in London on October 26. Figures reviewed by ibynews.com confirm that Vozinha is receiving his first nomination for the award.