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Player recruited for the World Cup via LinkedIn: The incredible story of Roberto Lopes
©picture alliance / GES/Marvin Ibo Güngör | Marvin Ibo Güngör
From LinkedIn spam to the World Cup with Cape Verde.
33-year-old Roberto Lopes almost never would have worn the Cape Verde jersey—even though he played a key role in Tuesday’s epic 0-0 draw against Spain. The center back, born in Dublin to an Irish mother and a Cape Verdean father, was approached by the Cape Verdean national team coach via LinkedIn… but he ignored the message.
“I thought it was spam”
In 2018, then-national team coach Rui Aguas sent a message on LinkedIn asking him to join the national team. Lopes, who doesn’t speak Portuguese, immediately thought it was spam. “I should have used Google Translate much sooner,” he admits candidly in an interview with FIFA. “Fortunately, the opportunity came up again.”
Nine months later, Cape Verde’s national team coach made another attempt. This time, Lopes used an automatic translation app and only then realized that this was a real, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Fate also played a role: after all, Lopes had to create a LinkedIn account for a university course—the beginning of an unlikely football adventure.
From Ireland to Cape Verde
Lopes, who played one match for Ireland’s U19 national team, subsequently committed fully to Cape Verde. Since then, he has played 46 matches for the “Requins Bleus” (Blue Whales) and is now the captain. During every international break, he learns about Cape Verdean Creole and immerses himself in the culture.
“Every time I return, I feel even more Cape Verdean,” he says. “My father is proud that people know where he’s from. I’ve met many cousins, and my grandfather still works on his farm. It’s emotional.”
First World Cup in Cape Verde’s history
Cape Verde is participating in the World Cup finals for the very first time and will be the second-least populous country ever to compete in the tournament, after Ireland in 2018. In Group H, they’ll face Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia.
©picture alliance / GES/Marvin Ibo Güngör | Marvin Ibo Güngör