Dubliner Roberto Lopes secures World Cup qualification with Cape Verde

James Cox

Cape Verde have made history by becoming the second smallest country in history to qualify for the World Cup, with Dubliner Roberto Lopes part of the team.

Dublin-born Lopes played 90 minutes as Cape Verde secured qualification with a 3-0 win earlier over Eswatini.

Shamrock Rovers defender Lopes is one of the key players for the African nation after making his first appearance in 2019.

Lopes, who is known as Pico, qualifies for Cape Verde through his father Carlos. He played the full 90 minutes in their historic win today, and has won 42 caps for the country.

The West African archipelago, with a population of around 600,000, are the second smallest country in tournament history to qualify.

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted in Canada, the US and Mexico.