Spam folder mistake leads defender to World Cup with Cape Verde

Cape Verde defender Pico Lopes said a LinkedIn message he initially dismissed as spam ultimately changed the course of his career and helped him reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 33-year-old Shamrock Rovers player, who grew up in Ireland, failed to respond to a message written in Portuguese inviting him to join Cape Verde's national team because he did not understand the language and assumed it was spam.

Nine months later, the same message arrived in English, and Lopes realized he had been invited to represent the African island nation. He immediately accepted and made his international debut in a friendly against Togo in Marseille in 2019.

Lopes' family moved across several European countries after his father left Cape Verde at the age of 16, eventually settling in Ireland, where the defender was raised.

Before signing a professional contract with Shamrock Rovers, Lopes worked at a bank while pursuing his football career.

Reflecting on Cape Verde's qualification for the 2026 World Cup, Lopes said the team's victory over Cameroon during qualifying proved to be a turning point.

“Our first goal was to reach the Africa Cup of Nations. Reaching the quarterfinals in 2021 gave us confidence,” Lopes said.

“When we saw our group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, we said, ‘Why not?’ Beating Cameroon at home was the turning point.”

Lopes said Cape Verde secured qualification by defeating Eswatini in front of home supporters in the final match of the campaign.

“It was an unforgettable day. We had made history,” he said.

The defender said the achievement coincided with several major milestones in his personal life, including the birth of his son, Diego, four days later, as well as league and cup titles with Shamrock Rovers.

“It was the most unforgettable month of my life,” he said.

Cape Verde opened its World Cup campaign with a 0-0 draw against Spain and are competing in Group H alongside Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia.

Asked about his team's ambitions, Lopes said the objective is to advance from the group stage despite the difficult opposition.

“You have to believe,” he said. “Football does not always respect predictions; there are surprises. This is the moment when dreams become reality.”