Don’t ignore that LinkedIn message any longer. It might just be life changing. After Cape Verde stunned Spain with a 0-0 draw to open its 2026 World Cup schedule, the lives and stories of many players went viral. One such story involved defender Roberto Lopes, who started and played the enti re game at center-back for the Blue Sharks. Lopes, 33, was born in Dublin, Ireland, and has played club soccer professionally in the country since 2010. He played one game for the Republic of Ireland under-19 team, but never registered an official international cap. Then one day in 2018, then-Cape Verde head coach Rui Aguas became aware of Lopes’ eligibility to represent the country. Aguas sent Lopes a direct message on LinkedIn asking for his interest, but since it was written in Portuguese, a language Lopes didn’t speak, it was ignored believing it was spam. MORE WORLD CUP COVERAGE 2026 World Cup Jun 15 Cape Verde goalie Vozinha's social media following explodes after Spain draw 2026 World Cup 8 hours ago Is the Rocky statue curse back for the World Cup? Here's why some believe so 2026 World Cup Jun 15 Did you know Japan's goalie is from New Jersey? Meet Zion Suzuki Nine months later, Aguas followed up in English, ultimately leading to Lopes’ international debut in 2019. It came in a 2-0 friendly win vs. Togo. Lopes was eligible to make the switch due to his father being from Cape Verde. His mother is Irish. Now, Lopes is a hero for his father’s country, one he’ll feel even more connected to following the historic World Cup moment. The Blue Sharks will play Uruguay and Saudi Arabia next in Group H in their attempt for a shock knockout-stage qualification. But has LinkedIn has proven time and time again, lessons can be found in anything — this time within its own platform. ...read more read less