The 42 reports from Atlanta Stadium
PICO LOPES AND Ray Houghton embraced in the tunnel area of the Atlanta Stadium as the Cape Verde players continued to celebrate a stunning 0-0 draw with Spain in the World Cup.
Two greats of Irish football – and make no mistake, this achievement elevates the Dubliner to a new level – savoured a special moment together.
Houghton was on duty for RTÉ and Pico, as he described it, was still in “football mode.” He reckoned Cape Verde could have done more with the ball and felt he was rusty in the game because of a lack of match sharpness.
It was 18, June 1994, when Houghton scored for Ireland against Italy in a World Cup in America.
Not quite 32 years to the day, but their stories now share a common, glorious thread.
Houghton told Pico to savour every moment, to take in every moment with teammates and family.
Two greats of Irish football at the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/RKe1u1NJAj
— David Sneyd (@DavidSneyd) June 15, 2026
Pico said it was “a lovely moment” and told Houghton and his RTÉ colleague Des Curran that he didn’t want just to be happy with a point, before Houghton “put it into perspective because it’s a point at the World Cup against Spain. Sometimes you just have to let yourself enjoy this.”
Pico left the dressing room later on wearing a small pin badge bearing the flags of Ireland and Cape Verde. It was a gift from the Irish ambassador in Lisbon. He actually apologised for being late to arrive to fulfil media duties – something the vast scrum of journalists from around the world who swarmed towards him could hardly believe.
The reason for being late was simple.
“I was chatting to the lads at Shamrock Rovers [in the dressing room], they were out watching the game. I gave them a FaceTime after that. That’s why I’m late. A lot of them went out to watch the game.
“That, to me, means the most,” Pico said. “The people you lock heads with every day and push each other to get better in training, they’re out back home supporting me. They’re really proud. They’re so happy. They’re so proud.”
Pico Lopes has become the first active League of Ireland player to play at a World Cup, just 10 years after becoming a full-time professional with Rovers and giving up his job as a mortgage adviser in Dublin.
“It’s probably hard to sum up in words, but for me, it’s just a story of never giving up. Believe you can get better. My goal in football since I started playing was to try and improve.
“You don’t stop improving when you’re 22, 23. Your whole career is trying to do that. I’ve said this a lot, but my first international game was when I was 28. I’ll be 34 in two days and I’ll probably feel every bit of that after today. And I played my first World Cup. So, yes, look, dream, believe and work hard. Anything you love, things can happen.
“I’m immensely proud. We’ve got some great players in that league and there have been over the years and even now. To represent the League of Ireland, it’s huge. That’s how I managed to be here. I’ve been playing there my whole career. I started out there part-time and now I’m full-time.
“The support I’ve had from everyone I’ve met along the way. From the immediate family, from friends, League of Ireland supporters, everyone back home.
“It makes me feel really supported and it gives me a bit of motivation to go out there and show what I can do for them. I feel like I’m representing all the people who wish me well. I suppose that point out there is for them as well.”
There were some at home in Ireland likening his performance at the heart of Cape Verde’s defence, with that stunning late block denying what looked a certain goal, to Paul McGrath’s display for Ireland against Italy in Giants Stadium.
“No, I don’t think it was that good. I’m probably a bit rusty. That’s my first 90 minutes since April. I was happy to get under the belt. There’s probably times on the ball that I could use it better.
“But the important thing and the pleasing thing to me is we weren’t afraid to make mistakes today. I think that’s something we had to embrace. You’re going to give the ball away, you’re going to make mistakes.
“They’re going to be really good in attack. So it’s important that you switch on, you react to mistakes and get back defensively, which I thought we did really well.
“Look, it’s amazing to get a point and a clean sheet in our first game of the World Cup against an amazing team like Spain are. It’s amazing. Honestly, it’s a moment that we should be proud of and enjoy.
“The last corner they had, I glanced up at the stopwatch. I think there were 30 seconds left and I was just screaming, ‘one more, defend this corner, one more’, and that would be it.
“I was just hoping we’d get ahead on it or something or Vozinha would come and claim it like he has. I was just praying for this and I knew if we didn’t concede then that would probably be it.”
That was it, and now anything seems possible for Pico Lopes and Cape Verde in this World Cup.
Written by David Sneyd and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.