Cape Verde, one of the World Cup debutants this time, owes its place at the game’s biggest stage not only to their footballing talent, but also to social media’s reach.
Fifa, in recent years, has allowed players with parents or grandparents from other nations to represent those countries under certain conditions, if they choose
to do so.
Cape Verde’s federation took advantage of this rule, and actively reached out to potential players with strong Cape Verdean backgrounds who were not tied to a national team or had little chance of breaking into one. For that, they used LinkedIn, a professional networking platform.
The most significant tale was the recruitment of the Irish-born defender Roberto “Pico” Lopes, who played at the junior levels for Ireland, but never received a call to the senior team. Born and raised in Dublin, Lopes had almost given up his hopes until he received a message in Portuguese through a LinkedIn account he opened in college.
“When I was in college, one of our modules required us to set up a LinkedIn account,” Lopes had told CNN Sport in an interview in January 2024.
“And it ended up being through LinkedIn, maybe five or six years later, the manager at the time messaged me in Portuguese, which I didn’t understand. I just thought it was a welcome message … so I ignored it.”
Cape Verde head coach Rui Águas messaged him again nine months later, this time in English, asking if he had considered his offer. Then, with the help of an online translator, Lopes realised that he had been offered the chance to represent the small archipelago’s national team.
The rest is history.
Lopes, who plays with League of Ireland club Shamrock Rovers, qualifies through his Cape Verdean father Carlos.
He was given a surprise farewell party in his native Crumlin in Dublin in May before heading off to represent the African country in their first World Cup appearance.
Lopes thought he was going to his parents for Sunday lunch, but was instead greeted by neighbours and friends intent on sending the local hero off in style.
“The send-off I got from the road I grew up, that is something that will stick
with me forever,” Lopes was quoted as saying by The Irish Sun recently.
“I’ve grown up on that road, played football, played World Cup, and for every New Years, birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, everyone was out on the street.
“That’s something that sort of died away as we started to get a bit older. So to bring it back to that, everyone out there to send me off, to wish me well…that really sticks with me.
“I have that support from families and friends from Ireland where I live for the country I’m representing at the World Cup, Cape Verde.”