The defender for the ‘Blue Sharks’: “We were in a really tough group and we came out on top on merit. Being able to represent my father on the biggest stage in soccer is fantastic.”

The delirium in the stands, the fans invading the pitch, the players’ tears, the huge celebrations in the streets. Cape Verde has just become the protagonist of one of the most beautiful fairy tales in recent soccer history after qualifying for the World Cup for the first time. This is an exceptional achievement considering that it will be the smallest country ever to participate in the World Cup, even smaller than the Italian region of Molise. The dream of half a million Cape Verdeans came true at the final whistle of the 3-0 win against Eswatini, finishing top of the group ahead of Cameroon. From now on, the African archipelago will not only be recognized for the beauty of its landscapes, but also for having written its name in the elite of world football. An incredible story about this national team concerns defender Roberto Lopes, born in Dublin but naturalized Cape Verdean thanks to his father’s origins. Born in 1992, he worked in a bank until 2016, before joining Shamrock Rovers, where he became captain. Throughout his career, he had always played for Ireland’s youth national teams, but in 2018, everything changed thanks to a message he received on LinkedIn. His words convey the pride and joy of the entire Cape Verdean people at achieving this milestone, but upon his return home, the greatest gift life could give him awaited him: the birth of his first child.

Congratulations on qualifying for the World Cup. How do you feel right now?

“I really can’t find the words. It’s such a surreal feeling. The relief at the end of the game, the realization that we’d done it. We’re going to the World Cup. I’m on cloud nine right now. It’s an incredible feeling.”

The game remained 0-0 until halftime. Was there any apprehension or nervousness in the dressing room going into the second half, or did you know you would qualify?

“There were just a few moments of frustration in the first half because our opponents were doing everything they could to waste time. There was nothing we could do about it, we just had to focus on our job, which I think we did very well. We had created some chances in the first half. We knew that if we continued to play as we were doing in the second half, more chances would come. Fortunately, that’s how it turned out, and we made the most of them.”

After the third goal, did you realize you had achieved the feat? How did you experience the second half?

“Maybe when the third goal came, I finally relaxed. Until then, I was just thinking about giving my all until the end. You never know what can happen in soccer. Then Stopira finally scored the third goal. He has a fantastic story: he interrupted his retirement from soccer to join us in these World Cup qualifiers. He was on the pitch for a few minutes and was extraordinary, truly incredible. When he came on, we knew we were close to the finish line, it was just a matter of bringing home the game.”

You were just a boy when Ireland qualified for the World Cup in 2002. What does it mean for the 500,000 inhabitants of Cape Verde to live this dream?

“It’s fantastic, it’s always been the dream of the people. I think that since I’ve been involved in this project, it’s been a dream that has grown more and more over time, we had the feeling that we could do it. Allowing the people of Cape Verde to follow their country’s team to the biggest sporting event in the world is definitely the most important achievement of my football career. This gives me an immense sense of pride. Writing history together with this group is a fantastic feeling. We have achieved a great result, and you know what’s great? We deserved it. We were in a really difficult group, and we came out on top on merit. It’s an honorable result, and we should be proud of it.”

What happened after the final whistle? How were the celebrations on the pitch, in the dressing room, and back at the hotel?

“It was a non-stop party: the explosions of joy at the end of the game, the overwhelming sense of relief at having done it… It was incredible. I feel great joy inside me right now to be able to celebrate with our people, with our family, with our friends. Yes, it was fantastic on the pitch, we had a lot of fun in the locker room when it was just us, and it was magnificent on the way back to see people celebrating outside the bus on the streets. I can’t find the words to do it justice. I hope you’ll see some videos soon because it was just fantastic.”

Achieving this milestone in front of your father at the stadium must have been very special. How proud do you think he is of you today?

“Yes, it was really special to have him there with me. He made a very long journey, and that gave me extra motivation to try and get the result. I hope he’s very proud of what we’ve achieved. He’s the reason I play for the Cape Verde national team: to represent him, to represent my family at this level and now on the biggest stage in football is just fantastic.“

Your first call-up to Cape Verde came in a rather unusual way, via a message on LinkedIn, which you didn’t pay much attention to at first, right?

”Yes. This story has become famous recently. It all started in 2018, when I ignored a message from coach Rui Aguas for nine months because I didn’t understand Portuguese. Luckily, he wrote to me again in English, and I did what I should have done the first time, which was to translate the first message. I apologized profusely, and luckily they responded and welcomed me. Now I’m part of this country’s history. It’s incredible to go to a World Cup at 33, even though I’ll be 34 during the tournament. I still can’t find the words. I’m probably the luckiest person in the world.“

He feels this way for another very special reason…

”The funny thing about this week is that soccer was the last thing on my mind, and I really mean that. My wife and I are expecting our first child. She could give birth at any moment. I enjoyed the celebrations after the game, but I really couldn’t wait to get home to hopefully be there for the birth. I can’t wait to celebrate with my friends and family.”