Cape Verde's World Cup dream ends in extra-time defeat to Argentina as Pico Lopes' journey captivates Ireland

Match summary

Cape Verde's remarkable World Cup run ended in Miami after a 3-2 extra-time defeat to Argentina in the round of 32. Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute, but Cape Verde equalised through Duarte just before the hour mark. The game went to extra time, where Lisandro Martínez restored Argentina's lead in the 92nd minute. Sydney Lopes Cabral then produced a stunning equaliser in the 103rd minute, curling a shot into the far corner from the left edge of the box. An own goal by Diney in the 111th minute finally sealed Argentina's victory and a place in the next round against Egypt.

Cape Verde's historic run

The Blue Sharks entered the tournament as the smallest country ever to qualify for a World Cup, with a population of just over 500,000. They went unbeaten in Group H, drawing 0-0 with Spain, 1-1 with Uruguay (featuring a Kevin Pina wondergoal), and 0-0 with Saudi Arabia. Goalkeeper Vozinha became a social media sensation, his Instagram following jumping from around 50,000 before the Spain match to over 17.6 million. Head coach Bubista said facing Messi, "for many the best of all time, makes us proud."

The Irish connection

Roberto 'Pico' Lopes, born in Crumlin, Dublin, to a Cape Verdean father and Irish mother, was the only Irish-born player at the tournament. The Shamrock Rovers defender was first contacted by Cape Verde's then-coach Rui Águas via LinkedIn in 2019, a message he initially ignored because it was in Portuguese and he thought it was spam. Lopes said, "it's nice to be able to represent the two countries at a World Cup."

Community celebration

In Crumlin, neighbours transformed a cul-de-sac with Cape Verdean flags, bunting and a giant poster of Lopes. Organiser Sheena Heavy said, "It's the World Cup, there's a match tonight, he's Irish, irrespective of who he's playing for." The watch party was the fourth of the tournament, with food sponsored by a local funeral home. In Praia, Cape Verde's capital, thousands gathered at the Festival da Gamboa on Santiago island to watch the Saudi Arabia group game. Janice Miranda described the scene: "It was simply incredible. Seeing so many Cape Verdeans, along with so many tourists and visitors, celebrating this important milestone with us was an unforgettable experience."

Aftermath

Argentina advanced to face Egypt in Atlanta, while Cape Verde left the tournament with their heads high. The team's "No Stress" motto, emblazoned on T-shirts and graffiti across the islands, captured a nation's pride in defying the odds. As one Praia-based journalist noted, for the Spain game "everyone was given a half day off" and the country has been in a near-constant state of celebration ever since.