The 42
ROBERTO ‘PICO’ LOPES remembers the television being wheeled into the classroom, and Ireland beating Saudi Arabia to reach the knockout stages of the 2002 World Cup.
The Dubliner now faces the same opposition in the same scenario as he represents Cape Verde at the 2026 edition.
“Wouldn’t it be amazing if history repeated itself and that was the win that took us to the next phase?” Lopes tells OTS Media.
“We’re going into it with everything to play for, and it’s all in our hands. We know what a win will do, we’d progress to the next round, so we’re really looking forward to just attacking the game from the start.
“Look, it’s a great opportunity for us and we can’t get drawn in thinking that’s going to be an easy game or a foregone conclusion. I think Saudi Arabia are a really good team. They have some real quality in the side that can hurt you. We won’t be getting carried away yet. Just focus on the game at hand and hopefully we can get it done.”
Lopes and Cape Verde have enjoyed a fairytale run at their first World Cup. They held heavyweights Spain to a 0-0 draw in their opener, before accruing another point in a 2-2 thriller against Uruguay.
They now stand on the precipice of history as they play Saudi Arabia in their Group H finale in Houston on Saturday morning [KO 1am Irish time, RTÉ 2].
Asked if the tiny island nation expected themselves to be in this position, with their hopes of progression alive, Lopes says:
“I wouldn’t say expected, but it’s a position that we wanted to be in. We knew it would be difficult, but we knew we could achieve it if we believed it.
“We knew the first two games would be very difficult. To pick up two points out of them was huge and it probably gives us that little bit of a lift going into the final game. Given the format of the competition, (we knew) beforehand, maybe one win would probably see you through – to be within one point of accumulating three and knowing a win will automatically qualify you is amazing. This is a really big game for us now.”
The Shamrock Rovers captain continues: “We’ve had a bit of everything, and we just want to show the full package and that’s to go on and win a game and really put our stamp on a game. This is a great opportunity for us to do it.
“We should be full of confidence, and I believe we can do it. You won’t get this opportunity again knowing that’s in your hands, not waiting on results elsewhere. Just go and attack the game, be ourselves and believe.”
Lopes said his family are “having a ball” as they traverse America in a campervan, and also thanked those back home for the support.
“I’m really overwhelmed by the support of Irish people. They really get behind you, back you, and adopting Cape Verde as their second country. I think you mentioned the 33rd county, it’s brilliant.
“I think there’s a cocktail in the Priory Market named after me! It’s a bit surreal, just having these side stories coming off the back of this World Cup run. It’s brilliant, and I’m looking forward to thanking everyone when I am home.”
He will hope that’s not for some time, as the fairytale continues.
*****
- Check out the latest episode of The 42′s Football Family podcast here
Written by Emma Duffy 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.