Josimar Dias was born on an island called São Vicente, in a country called Cape Verde, far out in the Atlantic Ocean. He did not grow up with a famous name. In fact, his grandparents raised him while his father was in the military and his mother worked hard to support the family.

When he was small, he loved playing football in the street with older boys. It was rough! Whenever he got knocked over and ran home upset, his friends teased him, saying he was running to complain to his grandmother. In Portuguese, the word for "little grandmother" is "vozinha". The nickname stuck, and soon everyone in his neighbourhood called him by it instead of his real name.

He kept playing, kept training and kept believing, even when success seemed a long way off. He played for clubs in six different countries, working quietly for years without much attention.

Then, at 40 years old, he became part of his country's first-ever World Cup team. In their very first match, against Spain, the tournament's favourites, he made save after save to help Cape Verde draw the game, a result nobody expected.

For years, he played football in smaller clubs across six different countries, often without much recognition. He never gave up, even when his dream of playing at a World Cup seemed impossible. He kept training and kept believing, and at 40, an age when many players have long since retired, he finally got his chance. His patience and hard work over so many years finally paid off in the biggest moment of his career.

Even after becoming a national hero, he stayed grounded. He still speaks proudly of his simple beginnings, playing street football as a boy, and he never forgets where he came from. His fame grew overnight, but he did not let it change who he is.

After his team’s historic result against Spain, he could not hold back his tears. He thought of his grandparents, who raised him and are no longer here to see it, and his mother, who could not travel to watch him play. He made sure to thank the people who shaped him, even in his proudest moment.