Pico Lopes reflects on Cape Verde’s historic 0-0 FIFA World Cup draw with Spain, the overwhelming support from Ireland and preparing for a huge clash against Uruguay.
Ireland may not have qualified for this summer’s World Cup, but the remarkable story of Pico Lopes has captured the imagination of not only the League of Ireland community but football fans around the world.
The Crumlin native enjoyed what was arguably the greatest night of his career as he produced a superb defensive display to help World Cup debutants Cape Verde earn a famous 0-0 draw against European champions Spain in Atlanta.
Eligible to represent Cape Verde through his father Carlos, Lopes has been part of the Blue Sharks setup since 2019, but nothing could have prepared him for the scale of the occasion.
“It’s definitely a surreal moment,” he admitted. “After the game, I was looking for my family and wanted to celebrate with them, but afterwards you do look around and think, ‘What’s just happened here?'”
Having spent much of the evening under relentless Spanish pressure, Lopes believes his side executed their game plan to perfection.
“We knew going into the game they’d have most of the ball and we’d have to be resolute in our defending while hoping they had a bit of an off day,” he said. “Our goalkeeper was amazing and deserves all the plaudits. We were very good defensively and, as a team, deserved the point from that point of view.”
The unity within the Cape Verde squad has been one of the driving forces behind their historic rise to the World Cup, and Lopes feels that togetherness was evident throughout the draw with Spain.
“The 11 who started, the lads who came on and even the lads who didn’t get on were helping us at the water breaks and supporting us. We’ve been pushing each other since we came together on May 30. It’s about a group and a country celebrating this result together.”
Among those celebrating were Lopes’ wife Leah and newborn son Diego, who travelled to the United States alongside his parents Judy and Carlos, brother Jacques and Leah’s parents. However, the hectic World Cup schedule meant there was little time for family reunions after the final whistle.
“After the game, we were straight to the airport, so I didn’t really get to stay around and see them. But the day before the game I got to spend some time with Leah and Diego at the hotel, which was lovely.”
Back home, support for the Shamrock Rovers captain has poured in from every corner of Irish football, with Lopes admitting his phone has barely stopped buzzing.
“I’ve still got messages on my phone today. I’m overwhelmed with the support from friends, family, Shamrock Rovers fans, League of Ireland fans and people who have just picked up on this Cape Verde story. It’s the best thing ever.”
Despite making history against Spain, attention has already shifted to Cape Verde’s next Group H challenge against Uruguay in Miami.
“We watched some of their game before we got on the plane and it’s thrown the group wide open with everyone on a point. We’ll have to turn our focus to Uruguay, which will be another tough game, but everything’s up for grabs so we’ll need to be ready.”