Lionel Messi's Family Pleads for 'Humanity' as the Argentina Captain's Father Undergoes Treatment

Roberto 'Pico' Lopes might have been whiling away his time as a mortgage advisor in Ireland instead of preparing to face Uruguay in the World Cup on Sunday had Shamrock Rovers not come calling.

The 34-year-old's outstanding defensive performance for Cape Verde in the 0-0 draw with European champions Spain on Monday justified his decision to cut short working in the bank in 2017 and bet the house on making it as a professional footballer.

At the time he was combining his job with playing for Bohemians in the League of Ireland when their wealthier Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers offered him a professional contract, AFP said.

The World Cup has catapulted him to a different level of exposure, appearing on US TV following the impressive World Cup debut by the African volcanic archipelago of just 525,000 people.

Lopes, born in Ireland to Cape Verdean father Carlos and Irish mother Judy, was invited on to James Corden's World Cup show on broadcaster Fox.

He said it was "the stuff of dreams" and it certainly has been since he belatedly put a message he received in 2018 from then Cape Verde coach Rui Aguas on LinkedIn, into Google Translate.

Aguas had got back in touch nine months later to ask him if he had considered his offer.

"He said they were interested in getting new players into the national team and asked if it would be of interest," Lopes told AFP in 2024.

"I said absolutely and apologized profusely, and that if the opportunity was still there, I would love to be a part of it."

- 'A dreamer' -

Lopes said looking back he had thought the offer was a wind-up.

"I grew up in an era of prank phone calls and prank messages so I was always a bit skeptical," he told the Irish Sun.

"I never thought an international call-up would come that way."

Since making his debut in 2019 Lopes has been to two Africa Cup of Nations -- reaching the quarter-finals in the 2023 edition -- and now the pinnacle of any footballer's career, the World Cup.

His performance against Spain was followed by several generations of his family, including his 98-year-old grandfather in Cape Verde.

His parents and two brothers, along with his wife Leah and baby son Diego were at the match in Atlanta.

"He (Diego) slept through most of the match -- it shows you how boring Spain was," chuckled Lopes.

While Lopes, who has won five Irish titles with Shamrock Rovers, has been in a bubble at the squad's base, his family have been hailed in the streets by Cape Verde supporters.

"They've seen us on TV, they've been approaching us on the street saying, 'We recognize you', all the way from Crumlin (the neighborhood in Dublin where the family live), can you believe it?" Judy told RTE.

Lopes is still glad he went to college in Dublin, just in case the football career all grinds to a halt one day.

"If I didn't go to college or I didn't pursue education, I wouldn't have known what LinkedIn was," he told The Irish Sun.

"Your education is just as important.

"I've been able to balance (the job and football) and then get to a stage where I've left employment to go to full-time football."

However, he recalls that even before he turned professional, he imagined playing for Cape Verde when he watched them in their maiden Africa Cup of Nations appearance in 2013.

"I am a dreamer. You watch anything yourself . . . 'Could that be me? I wonder if that would ever happen to me?'"

The answer was yes and thirteen years later he is living the dream at the 'Beautiful Game's' showpiece event.

While Canada made World Cup history against Qatar, its celebration was tempered by concern for an injured teammate.

Jonathan David scored three goals and Canada won its first World Cup match while all but securing a spot in the knockout round with a 6-0 victory over Qatar on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.

Qatar was reduced to nine players because of red cards in the chaotic match. Assim Madibo was handed a red early in the second half after a tackle on Ismaël Koné, who was stretchered off with a broken left leg. Homan Ahmed was sent off in the first half for a challenge on Tajon Buchanan.

With the outburst of scoring, Canada tripled its overall World Cup goal total. Cyle Larin scored in the Canadians' opening draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Alphonso Davies scored four years ago in a loss to Croatia in Qatar, where Canada also got on the board with an own goal by Morocco. The Canadians were shut out three times in the 1986 World Cup.

“No one will forget this, and no Canadian will forget this day,” said coach Jesse Marsch, who held up six fingers as he walked off the field. “It’s an incredibly seminal moment for everyone to understand that there’s talent in this country, that there’s mentality, that there’s desire, that there’s a lot of things that make this country special.”

And the supporters who packed BC Place were ecstatic.

“We’re soaking up history right here,” fan Matthias Kempe said.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was among the 52,497 fans in attendance after missing the game in Toronto last week because of the G7 summit in France. He sat with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“It was amazing. After every goal it got louder and louder,” David said. “It gave us motivation to get the next goal and the next goal.”

Canada's triumph was marred by its anguish over Koné's injury. Teammates surrounded him in concern after he was tackled from behind and crumpled to the pitch with his lower left leg bent at a gruesome-looking angle. Madibo was clearly distraught before he was ejected.

Koné was taken to a hospital, were he was preparing for surgery. His family was with him, said Marsch, who confirmed the player's leg was broken.

Larin scored his second goal of the tournament on a rebound in the 16th minute. Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada punched away David’s volley but it fell to Larin, who pointed to his ears in celebration as the red-clad crowd roared.

David doubled the lead with a right-footed volley in the 29th, for his first goal in the run of play in more than a year.

Ahmed was sent off with a red card in the 33rd. The official initially pointed to the penalty spot, but after video review Canada was given a free kick just outside the box and the initial yellow card handed to Ahmed was changed to red.

Canada made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time when David scored in a scramble in front of the net off a shot that caromed off the crossbar. Qatari players stood with their hands on their hips in frustration while Canada celebrated.

Nathan Saliba, who came in as a substitute for Koné, scored on a free kick in the 64th to make it 4-0. Mohamed Manai deflected a shot past his goalkeeper for an own goal in the 75th.

David completed the hat trick in stoppage time, joining Argentina’s Lionel Messi as the only players with three goals in a match in this World Cup.

“It was a very tough match for many reasons. The players did their best. It was very difficult to face this match with two players less with this environment,” Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui said.

Qatar scored a stoppage-time goal to earn a surprising 1-1 draw with Group B favorite Switzerland in its opener. The Persian Gulf country is still looking for its first World Cup win after losing all of its group matches four years ago as the host.

Switzerland defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 earlier in the day in Group B.

Click here to read article