Players who turned World Cup heroics into big transfers

What the report says

BBC Sport Football looks at how strong World Cup performances have often acted as a springboard to major club transfers, with Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha cited as the latest example. The piece says the 40-year-old has moved from Portuguese second-tier side Chaves to Chilean champions Colo-Colo after impressing at the tournament, underlining that the World Cup can still reshape careers for players who were previously outside football’s biggest spotlight.

The article then revisits several past cases. Cameroon’s Marc-Vivien Foe earned a move from Canon Yaounde to Lens after standing out at the 1994 World Cup. Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva, who played every minute of his country’s 2002 title-winning run, went on to join Arsenal. Argentina’s Javier Mascherano and Germany’s Mesut Ozil both used the 2006 and 2010 tournaments respectively to secure Premier League or Real Madrid moves, while Colombia’s James Rodriguez became one of the stars of the 2014 World Cup before switching from Monaco to Real Madrid.

BBC Sport frames these transfers as a reminder that international tournaments can turn lesser-known players into global names almost overnight. It also notes that several of those listed later achieved major domestic and European success, showing how World Cup impact can influence both status and career trajectory beyond the tournament itself.