The 33-year-old, who hails from Dublin, was approached by the Cape Verdean football association in 2019 via the professional networking site.
However, the message, written in Portuguese, remained unread for several months as Lopes assumed it was junk mail.
It wasn’t until he received a follow-up message in English that he realized the federation was inviting him to represent Cape Verde on an international platform.
“I thought it was spam and ignored it. Then about nine months later, I got another message saying, ‘Hi Roberto, have you had a chance to consider my previous message?’. I felt terrible for not responding sooner,” he told BBC.
“I copied the text into Google Translate, which essentially said, ‘We’re looking to integrate new players into the Cape Verde squad. Would you be interested in declaring for Cape Verde?’. I was thrilled. I thought, ‘Absolutely, I would love to join the squad’,” he added.
What we know about Cape Verde’s Roberto Lopes
Affectionately called ‘Pico’ in football circles, Lopes has dedicated his entire career to playing in Ireland, representing Bohemian FC and later Shamrock Rovers, according to BBC.
Before becoming a full-time professional footballer, he also worked as a mortgage advisor in Dublin while balancing part-time football, the report noted.
With just one Under-19 appearance for Ireland, Lopes didn’t foresee a return to international football.
Nevertheless, an unexpected LinkedIn message altered that course, allowing him to represent Cape Verde, the homeland of his father.
Lopes made his debut for Cape Verde in a 2-0 victory over Togo in 2019 and quickly became a key part of the team’s defense.
“When I joined the squad in 2019, I felt there was a fantastic group of players, and the objective was to qualify for the AFCON (African Cup of Nations), which we achieved,” he remarked, as quoted by Reuters.
“It felt like we could compete with some of the top teams in Africa. With FIFA’s new format allowing more teams from Africa to qualify for the World Cup, we had that extra motivation to do everything we could to qualify and make history,” Lopes added.
The island nation, home to about 525,000 people, secured a remarkable spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a successful qualifying campaign, being placed in Group H alongside Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay.
For Lopes, reaching the World Cup signifies the realization of a lifelong dream and a chance to honor his family. “To represent my family while playing for the national team and showcasing our family name on such a grand platform fills me with immense pride,” he concluded.
