Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes, the Dublin-born defender, described Cape Verde’s historic 0-0 draw with Spain as a story of never giving up. The centre-back, who plays for Shamrock Rovers, was at the heart of a defensive masterclass that earned his country a point in their first ever World Cup match.
Historic Achievement
The Atlantic archipelago, with a population of just 600,000, held the European champions and tournament favourites, who are ranked 65 places higher. It was the first time such a large ranking gap did not result in defeat. Lopes, 33, only turned professional at 24 and received his first international call-up at 28 via LinkedIn.
Defensive Heroics
Lopes admitted he was ‘rusty’ after not playing a full 90 minutes since April, but his performance drew comparisons with Paul McGrath’s famous display against Italy in 1994. ‘I don’t think it was that good,’ Lopes insisted. ‘We can play better, but a clean sheet against one of the best teams in the world is amazing.’
Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, made seven saves and cried afterwards because his mother could not afford a visa to attend. The team’s all-time top scorer Ryan Mendes plays in Turkey’s second division, and striker Dailon Livramento has not scored a club goal in almost two years.
World Cup Expansion Defended
Lopes defended the expanded 48-team format, saying teams qualify on merit. ‘Just because there are 48 teams here, you still have to qualify. It is still notoriously difficult to qualify from Africa,’ he said.
The defender reflected on his journey: ‘My first international game was at 28, I will be 34 in two days, and I have played in my first World Cup. Dream, believe, work hard, and anything you love can happen.’
