Nigeria, June 17 -- Football has always possessed a unique ability to transform ordinary lives into extraordinary stories, and at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, that transformation happened in real time.

Just two days ago, Josimar Dias was known mainly to Cape Verdean football supporters, a respected veteran goalkeeper approaching the twilight of his career.

His social media following stood at roughly 50,000 healthy by local standards, for someone from a nation of roughly 500,000; but, insignificant in a tournament dominated by global superstars boasting audiences in the tens of millions.

Today, Dias has become one of the faces of the World Cup. The 40-year-old goalkeeper now commands an astonishing 11.3 million followers on Instagram alone ...