Roberto 'Pico' Lopes stood on the corner of a narrow walkway below the stands at the Atlanta stadium on Monday afternoon, rucksack on his back, as Spain's players finally made their way out more than an hour after the final whistle. Someone quipped that they still couldn't get past him. The centre-back from Crumlin admitted he felt 'rusty,' but he was at the heart of Cape Verde's greatest moment, one that his coach said transcended football—a story only the World Cup can write.
It took a moment for the magnitude to sink in. In the final minute, with Spain taking their 11th and last corner, Lopes glanced at the clock and knew it was close. When the final whistle blew, confirming Cape Verde had held on for a draw in their tournament debut, he heard the roar, saw the tears and celebrations, and embraced family and friends. As he headed down the tunnel, he encountered Ray Houghton—who scored for Ireland against Italy in 1994—and hugged him. 'It was lovely,' Lopes said, but the full meaning hadn't yet hit him.
'You're still in that moment: 'A point, is it good?' That's just how I am after games—I pick over the bones,' Lopes explained. 'Ray put it into perspective: It's a point at the World Cup against Spain. Sometimes you have to allow yourself to enjoy it. We can play better, and we'll have opportunities to show that, but it's a clean sheet against one of the best teams in the world.'
A Historic Achievement for Cape Verde
After a FaceTime call with his Shamrock Rovers teammates, Lopes appeared in the mixed zone, wearing a pin badge of crossed Irish and Cape Verde flags. 'In the dressing room, it hit me what we've achieved here,' he said. And what they achieved was astonishing: a point against the European champions, ranked 65 places higher, in Cape Verde's first ever World Cup game. Never had a gap this big ended in anything other than defeat.
Cape Verde's goalkeeper, Vozinha, aged 40, made seven saves and cried afterward because his mother couldn't afford the visa bond to attend. Their all-time top scorer, Ryan Mendes, plays in the Turkish second division. Starting striker Dailon Livramento hasn't scored a club goal in nearly two years. And midfielder Deroy Duarte replaced his brother Laros in the second half.
Lopes's Remarkable Journey
Few have captured imaginations like Lopes, a former mortgage adviser who turned professional at 24 and received his first international call-up at 28. Born and raised in Dublin, his father Carlos—a Cape Verdean cruise ship chef—met his mother Judy when his ship docked in the city. His 98-year-old grandfather still works the land on São Nicolau. That heritage made him eligible for Cape Verde, but he never imagined the call would come via LinkedIn—and at the second attempt, after assuming the first was spam. Lopes is the first League of Ireland player to reach the World Cup, let alone start in a historic draw.
'For me, it's just a story of never giving up,' Lopes said. 'My first international game was at 28, I'll be 34 in two days, and I've played in my first World Cup. Dream, believe, work hard, and anything you love can happen.'
Performance Comparisons and Reflections
His display drew comparisons with Paul McGrath's iconic performance against Italy in 1994, but Lopes downplayed it. 'I don't think it was that good. I'm probably a bit rusty—that was my first 90 minutes since April, so I was happy to get it under my belt.'
At half-time, the team told themselves the job was only half done. 'It's never over until it's over. In the last corner, I glanced at the stopwatch—30 seconds left—and I was screaming for one more clearance. I knew if we didn't concede, that could be it.'
Lopes acknowledged the team wanted to be better on the ball but accepted the need to suffer for the reward. 'It's amazing to get a point and a clean sheet in our first game at a World Cup against a team like Spain. It's history for us.'
Defending the Expanded World Cup Format
Lopes also addressed criticisms of the expanded 48-team format. 'This has given every nation a crack at the World Cup. Teams are still here on merit. You still have to qualify. Look at the great names not here—it shows it's still a hard path. From Africa, it's notoriously difficult. Whether it's 32, 48, or 64 teams, you have to earn it.'
He expressed immense pride in representing the League of Ireland. 'I've played my whole career there, starting part-time then full-time. Chatting with Shamrock Rovers teammates after the game—seeing them so happy and proud—means the most. Normally they give me stick, but I'm sure that will come too.'
As his teammates arrived with music blasting from a giant speaker, Lopes summed it up: 'It's hard to sum up in words, but for me it's just a story of never giving up. Dream, believe, work hard, and anything you love can happen.'
