Cape Verde defender Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes will face one of the greatest players in the world, Lionel Messi, in the 2026 World Cup knockout stages. The match. Set for July 3 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, will see Cape Verde,Africa’s smallest nation,square off against Argentina, the reigning world champions, but According to BBC and SRF, Lopes’ mother believes her son will thrive in the challenge, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

A journey from a Dublin bank to the World Cup

Lopes, 34, was born in Dublin to an Irish mother and Cape Verdean father. Before being recruited by the Cape Verde national team, he worked as a mortgage advisor at a Dublin bank. According to El Comercio Perú and TN, Lopes played weekend football for the Bohemians in Ireland’s top league but saw his career change in 2017 when he joined Shamrock Rovers. In 2017, he moved to the first division with Shamrock Rovers. In 2018, then-national team coach Rui Águas reached out to Lopes on LinkedIn, initially in Portuguese—Lopes, thinking it was spam, ignored it. Nine months later, a message in English led to his selection. He made his debut in 2019 and has since played 48 games for Cape Verde, including all three group stage matches of the 2026 World Cup, where he started and played every minute.

Small nation, big impact

Cape Verde made history at the 2026 World Cup by becoming the smallest nation to reach the knockout stages. The team, which had never before participated in a World Cup, opened its campaign with a goalless draw against Euro 2024 champions Spain. According to SRF, they held Spain to a 0,0 draw, Uruguay to a 2,2 tie, and Saudi Arabia to another 0,0. Their defensive strategy,stifling the opponent and striking on the counter,has proven effective. Defender Sidny Lopes Cabral explained: “Our focus lies on us, on our way of playing. We get the most out of our game and our plan when we let the opponent play and hurt them through counters.”

Before the tournament, Cape Verde was considered to have just a 1% chance of reaching the knockout stages, according to SRF. Lopes Cabral said the team laughed at the prediction: “We showed that work on the pitch is worth more than words. We showed how big one percent can be.”

Marking Messi and a historic moment

For Cape Verde’s players, the match against Argentina is a dream come true. According to BBC, Lopes’ mother said she never imagined her son would face Messi: “Not in a million years. It’s like I’m watching it all happen from the outside.” Lopes has two Africa Cup of Nations appearances and 10 years of experience with Shamrock Rovers, giving him a level-headedness to face the pressure. He said: “He just takes it all in stride. He’s very grounded, level-headed, and he’ll be well able to block out the noise that’s around in this fixture.”

According to SRF, Lopes Cabral also spoke about the match: “After the game, I’ll be able to enjoy having played against him.” Meanwhile, Cape Verde’s coach Pedro Leitao Brito emphasized that the strategy is not just about Messi but about the entire team. Lopes’ own personal journey—from Dublin to Miami,has made this moment even more surreal. “The experience opened my mind,” he said. “It allowed me to visit places I’d never known, immerse myself in African culture, and learn the language. It transformed my career and my personal life.”

As Cape Verde prepares to face the best player in the world, their journey from underdogs to World Cup participants is a story of resilience, opportunity, and belief. For Lopes, it’s the culmination of a life that began far from the pitch, but now leads to one of the most iconic stages in global football.