The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already served up no shortage of underdog stories, and few have captured global attention quite like Cape Verde’s historic run to the knockout stages. As the smallest nation ever to advance past the group phase, the Blue Sharks now face their biggest test yet: a last-32 clash against defending champions Argentina, led by the tournament’s all-time great Lionel Messi, in Miami on Friday at 23:00 BST. For 44-cap Cape Verde center-back Roberto “Pico” Lopes, a key cog in the team’s tight defensive unit, the moment is one he will welcome rather than fear, according to his mother Judy Lopes.
Most professional defenders would admit to feeling a flutter of nerves before marking the man who holds the record for the most World Cup goals in history, currently notching six goals in what is widely expected to be his final World Cup campaign. But Judy Lopes says her son’s temperament and depth of experience will carry him through the hype and pressure of the high-profile fixture. “He’ll relish the challenge of taking on Messi at the weekend and he’s always very composed, confident and performs very well under pressure,” Judy told BBC Sport NI’s Nicola McCarthy. “He just takes it all in his stride. He’s very grounded, level-headed and he’ll be well able to block out the noise that’s around in this fixture.”
Lopes, who has spent a decade playing for Irish side Shamrock Rovers and featured in two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, has already proven his quality at the international level. Through Cape Verde’s three Group H matches, a pair of draws against 2010 champions Spain, 2022 champions Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, the side finished second behind Spain to advance, conceding just two goals and finishing the group stage unbeaten. The defensive backbone of the side has been anchored by Lopes, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha turning in a star performance in the opening goalless draw against European champions Spain.
Judy Lopes says even she never could have imagined this moment for her son, even as Cape Verde defied all pre-tournament projections that gave the side just a 1% chance of escaping their tough group. “Not in a million years, it’s like I’m watching it all happen from the outside,” she said. “I don’t actually believe I’m involved in it at all, it’s that amazing. Just to think he’s probably going up against one of the best players in the world at the moment. Also that he, Messi, will be studying Pico’s form before Friday and analysing his strategy and seeing how he’s going to beat the rock at the back!”
While Lopes and his teammates are fully focused on extending their World Cup fairytale, Judy has returned to her day-to-day routine as a school secretary in Dublin for a handful of days, before traveling to Miami with her husband and Pico’s brothers to attend the match. Pre-tournament plans only included tickets for the three group stage matches, given the low expectations for the side, so she had originally scheduled a return to work right after the group phase wrapped up. Judy said her students gave her a warm send-off before she traveled for the group stage, creating a custom good luck poster for Pico that the entire Cape Verde squad has now signed. She plans to hang the memento in her school’s foyer when students return in September.
This World Cup has already seen countless heavy favorites eliminated earlier than expected, making Cape Verde’s underdog run feel like part of a broader tournament trend. While Judy acknowledges Argentina enter the fixture as heavy favorites, with Messi playing in his sixth World Cup and 30th tournament match, she remains optimistic that the unlikely story can continue. “I think where maybe Argentina are the favourites to win the tournament, I think Cape Verde are the darlings of the tournament, without a doubt,” she said. “It would be wonderful [if they progressed], anything is possible in football. At the end of the day, it’s 90 minutes and it’s 11 against 11 and anything can happen. So, let’s hope the fairytale continues and they move on to the next stage.”