Pico Lopes, the defender of Cape Verde Islands, who achieved a surprising result by drawing 0-0 with Spain in their first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, became a national team player with a rare invitation.
The national team career of the 33-year-old football player, who plays for Ireland’s Shamrock Rovers team, started with a LinkedIn message that he thought was spam because he did not speak Portuguese.
Lopes, who did not take seriously the first message he received on the account he opened while he was at university, realized that he had been invited to the national team when the same message was sent in English 9 months later. The defender, who immediately accepted the invitation, wore the national jersey for the first time in the friendly match against Togo in Marseille in 2019.
The reason why Lopes grew up in Ireland lies in his father’s choices. Father Lopes left the Cape Verde Islands at the age of 16, worked in cafes in Portugal, and then settled in the Netherlands, Belgium and finally Ireland.
“WHEN DEFEATING CAMEROON AT HOME WAS THE BREAKING POINT”
The experienced football player, who worked in the bank before signing a professional contract with Shamrock Rovers, said about his World Cup journey: “Our first goal was to go to the African Cup of Nations. Reaching the quarter-finals in 2021 gave us confidence. When we saw our group in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, we said ‘Why not?’ we said. Beating Cameroon at home was the turning point. In the last match we had to beat Eswatini in front of our fans, it was an unforgettable day. We made history. I had to catch a plane right after the match because my son Diego was born four days later. World Cup tickets, the birth of my son, league and cup titles with Shamrock Rovers. “It was the most unforgettable month of my life.” he said.
Lopes; Regarding his goals in Group H, which includes Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, he said: “Trying to get out of the group. It is a very difficult group, but you have to believe. Even the third best place can be enough. Football does not always respect predictions; there are surprises. This is the moment when dreams come true. Everyone dreams of the World Cup when they are children, but very few get this chance. I will try to enjoy every moment.” he said.