Cape Verde, a small island nation off the west coast of Africa, made a remarkable run in the 2026 World Cup. The team, led by center back Pico Lopes, finished second in their group and faced Argentina in the Round of 32.

A Historic Run

The Blue Sharks, as they are known, were given a 1% chance of success before the tournament began. However, they defied the odds and held Spain, the world’s second-ranked team, to a 0-0 draw in their opening match.

Lopes, who was recruited to the national team via LinkedIn, said the key to their success was focusing on the game and not getting distracted by the occasion. “We sort of took the occasion out of the game and didn’t worry about who we were playing,” he said. “We just had a goal in mind and we came close. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, but we think we had them worried for a little bit.”

A Dream Come True

Lopes, who is Irish-born and had no plans to play international football, said playing against Argentina was a dream come true. “You never think you’re going to get to see (Lionel Messi) play live before he finishes, and before you know it, you’re playing against them on the pitch, so it was a dream come true,” he said.

The team’s run has inspired a new generation of footballers in Cape Verde, with Lopes believing that every child in the country will now have a football at their feet with dreams of playing for the national team.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.