A 40-year-old goalkeeper playing in Portugal's second division just became one of the most followed people on Instagram overnight.

Cabo Verde's Vozinha — full name Josimar Dias — pulled off a performance of a lifetime on Monday, making seven saves as the Blue Sharks held Spain to a goalless draw in their World Cup Group H opener. Before the match, his Instagram following sat at 45,000. As of Tuesday, it's exploded past eight million.

"This is crazy, this is crazy," Vozinha told reporters after the game. "Very proud. For me it's an honour to represent my country."

Cabo Verde, a small island nation off West Africa, qualified for the World Cup after a tough group featuring Cameroon and Libya. Vozinha credited the team's discipline under coach Pedro Leitão Brito, known as Bubista.

"We're from a small country. Our qualification was very difficult in a group with Cameroon and Libya, but we knew if we followed the plan of the coach, we had a great chance to qualify."

The draw against Spain — one of the tournament favourites — is the biggest result in Cabo Verde's football history. But the moment came with pain. Vozinha broke down in tears after the final whistle, and not just from joy.

"I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they weren't here, they died a few years before, and they did everything for me and my life," he said. "Also my mum, she didn't manage to be here because of the visa. The money for the visa, we didn't manage (to do) on time, and I'd like her to be here."

Cabo Verde was one of the countries affected by stricter US visa restrictions introduced earlier this year, making it difficult for some families to travel to the World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Bubista defended his goalkeeper's emotions. "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," the coach said. "He has spent many years with us. I normally don't like to comment on individuals, but he had a great performance."

The match earned Vozinha his 89th international cap. He plays club football for Chaves in the Portuguese second division, a far cry from the global superstars he faced on Monday.

Cabo Verde's next match is against Uruguay on June 21. Vozinha will carry both his team's momentum and his newly acquired global fame into that fixture.