When Roberto Pico Lopes Finally Acknowledged the LinkedIn Message, His Life Took a Remarkable Turn
Born and raised in Dublin, Roberto Pico Lopes had once abandoned hope of representing Ireland at the senior international level, despite his earlier success at the junior level
Dublin native Roberto "Pico" Lopes had thought his chance to represent the Republic of Ireland at the senior international level was lost, despite his success at the junior level. However, a surprise message on LinkedIn changed everything and opened the door for him to play for Cape Verde and participate in the continent's top tournament, transforming his soccer career and life.
While in college, Lopes recounted to CNN Sport before the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) that one of our modules mandated us to create a LinkedIn account. Several years later, the manager messaged me in Portuguese through LinkedIn, which I didn't understand. I initially took it as a welcome message and ignored it.
Fortunately for Lopes, Cape Verde head coach Rui Ãguas reached out to the Shamrock Rovers defender again nine months later - this time in English - to inquire if he had considered his offer.
Roberto Lopes, who plays for Cape Verde, was born and raised in Dublin.
Ulrik Pedersen/AP
Using Google Translate, Lopes discovered that he had been given the opportunity to play for the national team of the small archipelago.
Shortly after, Lopes made his debut for Cape Verde, and now, four years later, he is getting ready to compete in his second consecutive AFCON with the Blue Sharks, having achieved 18 caps.
Lopes enters the tournament fresh off his fourth consecutive league title with Shamrock Rovers in Ireland. He was the lone Rovers player to be named to the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland's team of the year, a distinction based on votes from players in the top flight of Irish football.
However, at the Africa Cup of Nations, he will face a tough challenge against some of the top forwards in the world, including Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian international from Liverpool. Egypt is grouped with Cape Verde, Ghana, and Mozambique.
More than 100 players at AFCON will be representing an international team through the ancestry of their parents or grandparents, in accordance with FIFAs nationality eligibility rules.
French forward Just Fontaine (L) scores in France's World Cup 5-2 semifinal defeat to Brazil in 1958.
STAFF/AFP/AFP via Getty Images
A 21st century reversal of soccer migration
The entry of soccer into Africa in the late 19th century saw players representing nations other than their own. However, it wasn't until the late 20th century that African-born players began representing colonizing nations. For instance, Alexandre Villaplane, who was born in Algeria, captained the French team at the first World Cup in 1930.
Just Fontaine, renowned for his record-breaking 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup for France and named the greatest French soccer player of the second half of the 20th century by UEFA, was born in Marrakech and did not leave Morocco until he was 20 years old.
Eusébio, widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, was born and raised in Mozambique to a Mozambican mother and Angolan father. He went on to achieve success in European club soccer with Benfica and led a Portuguese team, including several African-born players, to a third-place finish at the 1966 World Cup.
Eusébio, born and raised in Mozambique, helped Portugal to a third-place finish at the 1966 World Cup.
Allsport/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Looking ahead to 2023, the English Premier League is filled with African players, making Traoré the most common surname among them.
Morocco and Algeria were among the first African nations to welcome players born outside their borders. However, up until 2024, Tanzania had never included a European-born player in their AFCON squad. Recently, they have changed this policy and will now have several players born outside of Africa in their 2024 tournament squad.
A growing number of African teams are actively seeking out talented players born abroad. For instance, Morocco has employed full-time professionals to search European countries for promising young players who are eligible to play for the national team. Meanwhile, other African nations are enlisting the help of former soccer stars to connect with and persuade players to consider switching their soccer nationality.
Changing nations, a complex issue
Samuel Etoo, widely regarded as the greatest African player of all time and the current president of the Cameroon soccer federation, dedicated several months prior to the 2022 World Cup to touring Europe and recruiting players with Cameroonian heritage, including the prominent Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo.
Lopes had always aspired to play for Ireland, but when that opportunity fell through, it was an easy decision for him to instead play for his father's native country.
Meanwhile, Brentford star Yoane Wissa, the forward from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), had always been singularly focused on representing his home country in central Africa.
"I am proud to represent DRC," Wissa recently told CNN Senior Sport Analyst Darren Lewis. "I think about my parents and what they went through when they came to France because it was not easy. That's why I am proud. They kept my mind African because you can see from my skin that I am from Africa."
For Wissa and many other soccer players who have represented African teams, the prejudice they and their parents faced in Europe was an added factor in determining which country they chose to play for.
Benoît Assou-Ekotto, the former Cameroon and Tottenham Hotspur defender, chose to decline the chance to represent Frances youth teams and instead decided to play for the Indomitable Lions. Despite growing up in France, Assou-Ekotto never felt a sense of belonging to the French identity.
Lopes celebrates Shamrock Rovers' League of Ireland Premier Division title success in November 2023.
Ryan Byrne/INPHO/Shutterstock
"Despite my mom being from Poland, most people would still identify me as Black and from Cameroon. This made it very challenging to find love in this country," Assou-Ekotto shared on the On The Whistle podcast.
"Even when I visited Cameroon, no one recognized me as being born in France and French. Instead, everyone saw me as a son of their country," Assou-Ekotto added.
Some players struggle with transitioning to playing for their parents' home country due to the perceived lack of infrastructure and professionalism in the teams.
After making his debut for Mali in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré left the team after just two appearances, citing behind-the-scenes issues.
Initially expected to be a standout player at this year's tournament in Ivory Coast, Wilfred Zaha was surprisingly left out of the Ivorian national team, despite only making a few appearances for the host nation in 2023. Former head coach Patrice Beaumelle mentioned that the Galatasaray star had requested not to be called up to the Les Éléphants squad, citing homesickness as the reason.
A family matter
However, playing for Cape Verde has proven to be a life-enhancing experience for Lopes.
During each international break, he sees improvement in his Portuguese Creole and a deeper understanding of Cape Verdean identity.
"The last qualifiers made me feel the most connected to my Cape Verdean roots," Lopes reflects. "After returning home from that trip, I experienced an overwhelming sense of belonging. I truly feel accepted as a Cape Verdean."
Carlos Caluccha Lopes, the father of Roberto, left Cape Verde at 16 to work as a chef on international transport ships for 15 years before making a home in Dublin with Roberto's Irish mother.
Now representing the Blue Sharks, the Cape Verde international reveals that his father has been able to reestablish a connection with the nation he left behind so many years ago.
"Aye, hes so proud which is great," smiles Roberto.
"Its brought more of the Cape Verdean side out in him, and hes constantly giving me updates of back home and how my cousins are doing."
As a result of his frequent visits to Cape Verde, Lopes has been able to reconnect with his cousins. He is looking forward to visiting Cape Verde during the offseason to spend additional time on the islands and reunite with his grandfather, who has been unable to attend the 31-year-old defender's matches.
But first, Lopes has the little matter of the Africa Cup of Nations to attend to.
