Shamrock Rovers centre-back Roberto 'Pico' Lopes produced a commanding display as World Cup debutants Cape Verde secured a deserved 0-0 draw against Spain, one of the pre-tournament favorites, in Group H. The 33-year-old, who initially thought a Portuguese LinkedIn message inviting him to play for Cape Verde was spam, said: "To get a point and a clean sheet in our first game in a World Cup against a team like Spain was amazing."
Lopes, born and raised in Dublin, made 44 appearances for Cape Verde since his 2019 debut. His performance has made him a hero in Ireland, where Shamrock Rovers supporters watched him mark himself as one of the key defenders preventing Spain's breakthrough. Supporter group Pride of Ringsend noted he has been the league's best centre-back for six or seven seasons.
Cape Verde, the third-smallest country by population to qualify for a World Cup and ranked 67th in FIFA's standings, held Spain to keep their first-ever World Cup clean sheet. Goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, made seven saves and nearly edged Lopes for player-of-the-match honors in the BBC poll.
Lopes attended a surprise send-off party in Crumlin, Dublin, attended by family, friends, and neighbors in Cape Verde colors weeks before the tournament. His wife Leah O'Shaughnessy and their seven-month-old son Diego attended the Spain match. Cape Verde's 0-0 draw against world-ranked Spain significantly alters market perception of their strength in remaining group matches, likely affecting their odds to qualify from Group H.