Every so often in football, a story emerges that reminds us why we fell in love with the game in the first place.
A story not built on glamour or headlines, but on graft, belief, and which quietly defies the odds.
Pico Lopes qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with Cape Verde is one of those stories – and it deserves to be celebrated far beyond the island nation he now proudly represents.
Born and raised in Dublin, developed in the League of Ireland, Pico's journey to football’s biggest stage with Cape Verde feels almost surreal.
Apart from receiving and nearly missing a message via LinkedIn to represent the country of his Dad's birth, there’s nothing accidental about it. It’s a journey which represents the kind of dedication and humility we often wish more footballers possessed.
Cape Verde – a nation of just over half a million people – will become the second smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup after Iceland. And at the centre of their defence will be Shamrock Rovers’ very own Pico Lopes, playing on the biggest stage of them all.
The stuff of dreams, a completely irrational wish for any young boy growing up in Dublin, but Pico has equipped himself through his professional approach to his career to be able to make the most of the opportunity of playing international football.
And the just rewards are the peak of any young child’s craziest dreams.
His consistency has been remarkable, his leadership speaks for itself.
Pico is not long past his 33rd birthday, he will be just gone 34 when he togs out on the big stage next year, but since his 30th birthday, Pico has played in roughly 140 competitive matches for both club and country.
It's quite remarkable to see him playing his best football, matched with the sheer quantity of games at an age when most players start finding their body failing them, and when most players start to play less games year on year.
His approach to his craft is a testament to himself. His reliability is a manager’s dream and both Shamrock Rovers and Cape Verde have reaped the rewards of that.
Pico's rise is not just a personal triumph. It’s a resounding endorsement of the League of Ireland and its ability to produce players capable of competing at the world's biggest event.
When speaking to him off the pitch, you are greeted with a man who is very humble, well spoken, kind. The type that if you asked him for a lend of a fiver, he would offer you a tenner, he’s that type of character.
On the pitch, is a different story. As a striker playing up against him, he gets away with murder!
At times it felt like he personally knew the referees, that there was no way his mate would blow the whistle against him.
I once went up for a header and won the ball, Pico headed me instead of the ball, which produced a tennis ball-size lump out of the side of my head, and somehow he was rewarded with the free-kick.
His mix of aggression and athleticism has always been his strengths on the pitch, but his likeable personality seemed to always go down well with the referees.
Of course, this is all coming from a striker who struggled to get the better of his opponent.
It’s worth noting that Pico is now set to become the first player who has solely played in the League of Ireland to feature in a World Cup finals.
Let that sink in. In a league often accused of operating in the shadows of others, his achievement shines a light for every academy graduate – application to your craft, approach it professionally and your achievements can seem surreal.
His success also reflects the culture fostered at Shamrock Rovers – a club that in recent years has matched ambition with professionalism.
It’s no coincidence that Rovers have been the standard bearers for Irish club football during Pico’s tenure. He’s part of a squad that has played regularly in Europe, won titles, and lifted standards.
His development within that environment has made him the player Cape Verde rely on in the heart of their defence.
He is unapologetically authentic. He’s not betraying one country by representing another. He’s enriching both.
There’s something great about a player who has quietly gone about his business for over a decade, now stepping onto football’s grandest stage.
If a League of Ireland defender can play his part in helping a nation to the World Cup, what message does that send to the young talent within our shores?
As role models go, he’s as good as you can ask for. He is setting examples to all our young aspiring players to keep believing and apply yourself with everything you’ve got.
In the coming months, the spotlight on Pico will only grow as we get closer to the World Cup kicking off.
But for now, Pico will line out for Shamrock Rovers tonight and potentially be crowned a League of Ireland champion again for the fifth time in six years, in the same week he celebrates the birth of his first child.
If Carlsberg did weeks!
Pico is the kind of character that doesn't chase attention, but earns it anyway.
Let’s hope the referees over there give him the same treatment as his domestic mates!
