Local Hero: Pico Lopes' Journey to the World Cup

Irish-born Roberto 'Pico' Lopes, a defender playing for Cape Verde, received a surprise farewell in Dublin before heading to the World Cup. Lopes overcame near misses in his international career and is set to be part of Cape Verde's squad facing Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia in Group H.

Roberto 'Pico' Lopes, an Irish-born defender for Cape Verde, received a heartfelt send-off in his hometown of Crumlin, Dublin. Neighbors and friends surprised him with a farewell party ahead of his journey to represent Cape Verde in their historic first World Cup appearance.

Initially thinking he was going to his parents' home for a simple lunch, Lopes was met with celebrations. "Seeing all those flags, I realized this was more of a party," Lopes shared with broadcaster RTE. The 33-year-old is expected to be named in Cape Verde's World Cup squad.

Lopes, linked to Cape Verde through his father Carlos, nearly missed out on international football after disregarding a LinkedIn message he assumed was spam. He eventually joined Cape Verde's team, debuting in 2019, and significantly contributed to their Africa Cup of Nations campaign, reaching the quarter-finals in 2024.