Post by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ireland

An unexpected LinkedIn message is what helped set Roberto “Pico” Lopes on his path to the World Cup. Born and raised in Dublin, Pico had already built a successful career in the League of Ireland when a message arrived from Cape Verde’s national football team manager. Written in Portuguese, he initially ignored it, assuming it was spam. This summer, he’ll represent Cape Verde at the country’s first ever World Cup. As the tournament kicks off, we spoke to Pico about football, family, dual heritage, and the journey from Crumlin to football’s biggest stage. Read the full interview: https://lnkd.in/emdvDP9F