LinkedIn Call-Up Puts Roberto “Pico” Lopes in Cape Verde's Historic World Cup Draw

Roberto “Pico” Lopes, a Dublin‑born defender who previously worked as a mortgage adviser, was contacted by Cape Verde coach Rui Aguas through a LinkedIn message in 2019. After initially dismissing the Portuguese‑language note as spam, Lopes responded to a later English message, translated it, and accepted the invitation to join the Cape Verde national team.

Lopes started in Cape Verde’s first ever World Cup match on 15 June 2026 in Atlanta, holding European champions Spain to a 0‑0 draw. The unusual recruitment via a professional networking site underscored the island nation’s historic debut and highlighted the role of social media in modern football scouting.