TECH NEWS

LinkedIn just produced its most unlikely success story: a World Cup footballer

https://media.thenextweb.com/2026/06/pico-lopes-linkedin-world-cup-cape-verde.avif

TL;DR

Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes, a Dublin-born Shamrock Rovers defender, was scouted for Cape Verde’s national team via a LinkedIn message he initially dismissed as a prank. He started in Cape Verde’s first ever World Cup match on 15 June 2026, a 0-0 draw with Spain in Atlanta. The story highlights how a platform built for white-collar networking produced football’s most unlikely international call-up.

Most LinkedIn messages lead to sales pitches, recruiter spam, or polite rejections. Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes got a World Cup call-up.

The Dublin-born Shamrock Rovers defender made history on Monday when he started for Cape Verde against Spain in the country’s first ever World Cup match, a Group H clash at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Cape Verde held the European champions to a stunning 0-0 draw.

The message he almost deleted

In 2019, former Cape Verde coach Rui Aguas discovered that Lopes had a Cape Verdean father...

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