By 2017, Lopes had already made the leap from bank worker to full-time footballer after Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers offered him a professional contract. He still plays for Shamrock Rovers today. His eligibility for Cape Verde came through his father's heritage, and once Lopes understood the offer on the table, he never hesitated.

A nation on the rise

Cape Verde's qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 — where they will also face Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H — is being celebrated as the defining moment in the country's sporting history. The Blue Sharks were ranked 182nd in the world when former player Anselmo 'Jair' Ribeiro represented them. They are now 67th.

Jair, who helped Cape Verde win the Amilcar Cabral Cup in 2000 and once paid for his own plane tickets to represent his country, is overcome with emotion at what the nation has achieved.