News Focus
- Cape Verde earn a famous point against Spain in their first ever World Cup match
- Roberto Lopes plays the full game despite not playing since April
- The 33-year-old defender meets Irish football legend Ray Houghton after the match
- Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper makes seven saves to keep a clean sheet
Roberto Lopes stood in the tunnel area more than one hour after the match finished. The Cape Verde centre-back wore a rucksack. He waited to greet the Spain players as they tried to leave. Someone joked that the European champions still could not get past him.
The defender felt “rusty” during the game. He had not played for 90 minutes since April. But he helped Cape Verde achieve something historic. The small African island nation held Spain to a goalless draw. This was their first ever World Cup point on their tournament debut.
The result shocked the football world. Spain are the European champions and tournament favourites. They sit 65 places above Cape Verde in the rankings. Never before had a team avoided defeat against such a higher-ranked opponent at the World Cup.
Lopes was born and raised in Dublin. His father moved from Cape Verde and worked as a cruise ship chef. His mother is Irish. His grandfather is 98 years old and still works on a farm in São Nicolau. Lopes used to work as a mortgage adviser. He did not become a professional footballer until age 24.
His international career started late. He won his first cap at age 28. The call-up came through LinkedIn. He ignored the first message because he thought it was spam. Now aged 33, he is the first player from the League of Ireland to appear at a World Cup finals.
After the final whistle, Lopes met Ray Houghton. The former Republic of Ireland midfielder scored a famous goal against Italy at the 1994 World Cup. The two men embraced. Houghton explained how special the result was. At first, Lopes only thought about the football. He wondered if one point was enough. Then he understood the importance. “It is unbelievable,” he said.
Cape Verde’s squad includes players from smaller leagues. Their goalkeeper Vozinha is 40 years old. He made seven saves against Spain. He cried after the match because his mother could not afford the visa to travel. Ryan Mendes, their record goalscorer, plays in Turkey’s second division.
Lopes wore a special gift on his shirt. It was a badge showing the Irish and Cape Verde flags crossed together. The Cape Verde ambassador in Lisbon gave it to him. Before speaking to journalists, he spoke on FaceTime with his Shamrock Rovers teammates.
The defender supports the expanded 48-team World Cup format. He says it gives smaller nations a chance to compete. “You must still qualify on merit,” he said. “It remains very difficult to qualify from Africa.” He believes Cape Verde proved they belong on the biggest stage.
“This is a story of never giving up,” Lopes said. He will turn 34 in two days. He played his first World Cup match against one of the best teams in the world. “Dream, believe, work hard, and anything can happen,” he added.