Roberto 'Pico' Lopes has helped Cape Verde make history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — and his mother Judy Lopes believes he is perfectly prepared to face the greatest test of all: stopping Lionel Messi.

The Cape Verde centre-back was central to the African side's unbeaten run through Group H, where they drew against Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia to finish as runners-up behind the European champions. That result earned them a last-32 tie against defending champions Argentina in Miami on Friday at 23:00 BST.

Messi, who has already scored six goals at what is widely expected to be his final World Cup, will lead Argentina's attack. It is his sixth World Cup and his 30th appearance at the tournament — a record-setting stage on which he remains the all-time leading scorer.

A mother's confidence

Speaking to BBC Sport NI's Nicola McCarthy, Judy described her son as someone who thrives under pressure rather than wilting beneath it. "He'll relish the challenge of taking on Messi at the weekend and he's always very composed, confident and performs very well under pressure," she said.

"He just takes it all in the stride. He's very grounded, level-headed and he'll be well able to block out the noise that's around in this fixture."

Judy pointed to Lopes' extensive experience as the foundation of her confidence, noting his two Africa Cup of Nations campaigns and a decade spent with Shamrock Rovers. "I don't think it'll faze him at all, and I think he'll relish the challenge and hopefully come out on top," she added.

The rock at the back

Cape Verde are making their first-ever World Cup appearance and have become the smallest nation to reach the knockout rounds. Their defensive record stands out — they conceded just two goals across three group games, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha delivering a standout performance in the opening goalless draw against Spain.

Argentina, for their part, have been equally miserly, shipping just one goal so far in the tournament. The match-up is a genuine collision between two of the stingiest defensive units at the competition.

Judy, who briefly returned to her job as a school secretary in Dublin before flying back to the United States for the match, admitted the journey had exceeded every expectation. "I know that sounds terrible now, but we never envisaged that they'd get out of the group that they were in," she said. "They were up against two former world champions with Spain and Uruguay and I think they were given a 1% chance."

She even joked that Messi himself would be studying her son's game before Friday's fixture. "Also that he, Messi, will be studying Pico's form before Friday and analysing his strategy and seeing how he's going to beat the rock at the back!"

Anything is possible

While conceding that Argentina are the favourites to lift the trophy, Judy refused to write off Cape Verde's chances. "I think where maybe Argentina are the favourites to win the tournament, I think Cape Verde are the darlings of the tournament, without a doubt," she said.

"It would be wonderful if they progressed — anything is possible in football. At the end of the day, it's 90 minutes and it's 11 against 11. So, let's hope the fairytale continues and they move on to the next stage."