Cape Verde Defender Roberto Lopes Recruited via LinkedIn Ahead of World Cup Draw with Spain
Cape Verdean defender Roberto Lopes, born in Ireland, was recruited for the national team through a LinkedIn message. Lopes, also known as Pico, initially overlooked the message for nine months as it was in Portuguese, a language he did not understand at the time. He eventually joined the team, making his debut in 2019. Lopes played a pivotal role in Cape Verde's surprising 0-0 draw against World Cup favorite Spain on Monday. This historic result occurred as Cape Verde, with a population of approximately 530,000, became the third-smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup.
Cape Verde, an African nation, secured an unexpected 0-0 tie against World Cup favorite Spain on Monday. Defender Roberto Lopes, 33, was a key figure in this result for Cape Verde, an archipelago off the west coast of Africa.
Lopes, born in a Dublin suburb to an Irish mother and a Cape Verdean father, spent 16 years playing in Ireland's top division. He previously balanced part-time soccer with a banking job and had only one international appearance for Ireland at the Under-19 level in 2011.
His recruitment to the Cape Verde national team occurred uniquely through a LinkedIn message from the team's head coach. Lopes initially ignored the message for nine months, stating it was in Portuguese, which he did not understand. He responded after the coach resent the message in English, recognizing the opportunity.
Lopes made his first appearance for Cape Verde in 2019. The country, with a population of about 530,000, is the third-smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup. Despite Spain being ranked second globally, Cape Verde's well-organized defense, led by players like Lopes who blocked three shots and cleared the ball 11 times, held them to a draw. Goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, was named man of the match.
Lopes acknowledged his Cape Verdean heritage through his father and noted that joining the national team provided an opportunity to learn more about the culture and language.
(Source: Business Insider)
