The World Cup remains football's grandest platform, producing moments of drama that can alter a player's career trajectory overnight. The latest example is Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper whose performances for Cape Verde turned him into an unlikely global sensation and secured him a move to Chilean giants Colo Colo.
Vozinha's journey from Portugal's second division, where he played for Chaves, to one of South America's most decorated clubs highlights how a single tournament can transform perception of a player almost overnight. He became a cult figure after helping Cape Verde secure their first-ever World Cup point against Spain in the group stage, then guided his side into the knockout rounds, where they pushed finalists Argentina to extra time in the round of 32. His exploits were recognised with a place in FIFA's team of the tournament, and his popularity skyrocketed on social media, with his Instagram following surging from roughly 50,000 to nearly 30 million. He even had a newly discovered species of sea slug named in his honour. Vozinha, who has also played in Slovakia, Angola, Moldova and Cyprus, always considered himself capable of playing for a major club, and has described his move to Colo Colo — winners of 34 Primera Division titles and 14 Copa Chile crowns — as the highlight of his career.
History shows that Vozinha is far from the first player to leverage World Cup form into a significant transfer. Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foe was largely unknown before the 1994 tournament in the United States, but a standout display against Brazil helped him secure a free move to French club Lens. He went on to win Lens' first-ever league title in 1997-98, before later spells at West Ham, Manchester City and Lyon, where he claimed the League Cup and Ligue 1 title in 2002. Foe died tragically in June 2003 after collapsing during a Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia.
Brazil's Gilberto Silva earned his move to Arsenal after starring in the 2002 World Cup triumph, playing every minute of the tournament despite only being drafted into the starting line-up due to an injury to captain Emerson. His performances convinced the Premier League champions to sign him from Atletico Mineiro for around £4.5m. Nicknamed 'The Invisible Wall', Silva went on to be a key figure in Arsenal's unbeaten 2003-04 Invincibles campaign and won two FA Cups during his six years in north London.
Argentina's Javier Mascherano rose to prominence at the 2006 World Cup, helping his country reach the quarter-finals before moving to West Ham United alongside compatriot Carlos Tevez. Though his stay in east London was brief, he later became a Champions League winner with Liverpool and, from 2010, enjoyed sustained success at Barcelona, lifting the Champions League twice and La Liga five times.
Germany's Mesut Ozil also used the 2010 World Cup as a springboard, registering four goals and four assists as his country finished third. His performances persuaded Real Madrid to sign him from Werder Bremen for around 15m euros, and he later became Arsenal's record signing in 2013 for £42.4m.
Colombia's James Rodriguez produced one of the standout individual campaigns of the 2014 World Cup, scoring six goals — including his celebrated volley against Uruguay — to win the Golden Boot and a place in FIFA's team of the tournament. That form led Real Madrid to sign him from Monaco for around 75m euros, a move that yielded multiple trophies including two Champions League titles.
Other notable names who leveraged World Cup form into big moves include Gheorghe Hagi, Dejan Stankovic, Carlos Salcido, Nicolas Otamendi, Edinson Cavani, Sami Khedira, Alexis Sanchez, Keylor Navas, Enner Valencia and Enzo Fernandez — each proving that a strong tournament can open doors to some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.