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Pico Lopes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pico Lopes
Lopes in 2026
Personal information
Full name Roberto Carlos Lopes
Date of birth (1992-06-17) 17 June 1992 (age 34)
Place of birth Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Shamrock Rovers
Number 4
Youth career
Lourdes Celtic
Home Farm
Belvedere
Bohemians
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2016 Bohemians 140 (3)
2017– Shamrock Rovers 269 (21)
International career‡
2011 Republic of Ireland U19 1 (0)
2019– Cape Verde 49 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:14, 15 May 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 10:55, 4 July 2026 (UTC)

Roberto Carlos Lopes (Portuguese: [ʀu.ˈbɛɾ.tu ˈkaɾ.luʒ ˈlɔpɨʃ]; born 17 June 1992), also known as Pico (Kabuverdianu: [ˈpi.ku]),[2] is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Shamrock Rovers.[2] Born in the Republic of Ireland, he plays for the Cape Verde national team.

Early life

[edit]

Roberto Carlos Lopes was born in Dublin. His mother Julie works as a school secretary and is originally from Terenure. His father Carlos was born in São Nicolau, one of the 10 islands that make up the archipelago of Cape Verde. Carlos previously worked as a sailor, travelling the world on commercial liners, and later became a chef. Roberto has two brothers: Christopher and Jack. The boys grew up in the family home in Crumlin. As a child, Lopes played football for Lourdes Celtic.[3]

In Cape Verdean culture, it is common for people to have a nominho (nickname) in addition to their legal name.[4] Lopes' nickname, Pico, was coined by his father, meaning "strong man" or "strong fella".[3] It also makes reference to Pico do Monte Gordo, the highest peak on the island of São Nicolau.[5]

Club career

[edit]

Bohemians

[edit]

Lopes made his senior debut for Bohemians on 15 October 2010 as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat to eventual champions Sligo Rovers in the 2010 FAI Cup semi-final at Dalymount Park.[6][7]

Lopes made his League of Ireland debut on 4 March 2011 against Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds, coming off the bench in a 3-1 win.[8][9]

On 25 May 2012, Lopes scored his first goal for Bohemians in a 5-0 defeat of Drumkeen United in the second round of the 2012 FAI Cup.[10]

Lopes was appointed as vice-captain under manager Keith Long for the 2015 season. Club captain Derek Pender suffered a season-ending leg injury against Bray Wanderers on 22 May 2015,[11] resulting in Lopes stepping in as captain for the remainder of the season.[8] He was voted as Bohemians' player of the year in 2015.[3]

Lopes won his first senior trophy on 29 August 2016, captaining the club on the night and scoring twice as Bohemians defeated Wexford Youths 4-0 in the 2016 Leinster Senior Cup Final.[12]

Lopes' final home game for Bohemians took place on 7 October 2016, where he scored his final goal for the club in a 1-0 win over rivals Shamrock Rovers. He played his final ever game for the club away to Finn Harps on the last night of the 2016 League of Ireland season.[13]

During his time at Bohemians, Lopes sometimes played in midfield.[8]

While at Bohs, Lopes' father Carlos, a chef, prepared food for the team at his home and delivered it to Dalymount Park the night before matches.[6][14]

Shamrock Rovers

[edit]

At Bohemians, Lopes was a semi-professional athlete who concurrently worked as a bank teller in Blanchardstown. He also qualified as a mortgage advisor while juggling his football commitments.[15] He found it challenging to work both jobs and desired to go fully professional.[16] Former teammate Glenn Cronin, who was working as an assistant coach at Shamrock Rovers, approached Lopes regarding him joining the club on a professional contract. Following encouragement from Owen Heary, who played with both men and managed Lopes at Bohemians, Rovers signed Lopes on a free transfer in November 2016.[17]

In 2019, he scored his first European goal with a last minute header at SK Brann.[18]

In the next round he scored the winner against Apollon Limassol.[19]

His first winner's medal came when he won the FAI Cup in 2019 where Rovers defeated Dundalk on penalties.[20]

In 2020 Lopes netted his third European goal.[21]

In 2024, he became captain of Rovers after Ronan Finn left the club. He captained them to the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League playoff round, the first time an Irish club had reached the knockout stage of a European tournament.[22]

In 2025 he won the double as captain, Rovers' first domestic double since 1987.[23]

International career

[edit]
Lopes with Cape Verde at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations

Lopes was born in Ireland to a Cape Verdean father and an Irish mother.[24] He made one appearance for the Republic of Ireland's under-19 squad in 2011.[25]

In 2018, Cape Verde national team coach Rui Águas became aware of Lopes' eligibility to play for the country and sent him a message on LinkedIn asking if he would like to declare. However, the message was written in Portuguese, which Lopes did not speak, and he ignored it believing it was spam. Nine months later, Águas followed up in English and Lopes, realizing his mistake, accepted the offer.[26] He made his international debut for Cape Verde in a 2–0 friendly win over Togo in 2019.[27]

He was included in Cape Verde's squad for the delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.[28][29]

He was part of the Cape Verdean squad under manager Bubista in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, where the nation reached the quarterfinals.[30]

In October 2025, he was part of the Cape Verdean team that qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 3–0 win against Eswatini. In doing so, he became the second current League of Ireland player to qualify for the World Cup, a day after St Patrick's Athletic goalkeeper Joseph Anang was part of the Ghana squad that qualified.[31][32]

On 15 June 2026, Lopes made his World Cup debut in Cape Verde's opening group game against Spain, keeping a clean sheet in a shock 0–0 draw with the eventual champions[33]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played on 21 July 2026[34]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FAI Cup League of Ireland Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bohemians 2010 LOI Premier Division 0010000[a]00[b]010
2011 3000100[c]04[d]080
2012 15031000[c]03[e]0211
2013 3011030—0[f]0341
2014 3003030—1[f]0370
2015 3102020—2[f]0370
2016 3122020—3[f]2384
Total 1403121110001321766
Shamrock Rovers 2017 LOI Premier Division 25140304[c]00[f]0351
2018 29410002[c]00[f]0324
2019 35350104[c]200455
2020 15331—2[c]1—215
2021 27120—6[g]01[h]0361
2022 27100—7[i]00[h]0341
2023 31210—4[j]01[f]0372
2024 33110—14[k]00[h]0481
2025 34240—14[l]00[f]0522
2026 13310—2[m]01[h]0173
Total 26921221405933035425
Career total 4092434215059316253031
  1. ↑ Appearance(s) in the UEFA Champions League
  2. ↑ Appearance(s) in the Setanta Sports Cup & Leinster Senior Cup
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Appearance(s) in the UEFA Europa League
  4. ↑ 3 appearances in the Leinster Senior Cup; 1 appearance in the Setanta Sports Cup
  5. ↑ Appearance(s) in the Setanta Sports Cup
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Appearance(s) in the Leinster Senior Cup
  7. ↑ 2 appearances in the UEFA Champions League; 4 appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
  8. 1 2 3 4 Appearance in the President of Ireland's Cup
  9. ↑ 3 appearances in the UEFA Champions League; 4 appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
  10. ↑ 2 appearances in the UEFA Champions League; 2 appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
  11. ↑ 4 appearances in the UEFA Champions League; 4 appearances in the UEFA Europa League; 6 appearances in the UEFA Conference League
  12. ↑ 2 appearances in the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League campaign; 12 appearances in the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League campaign
  13. ↑ Appearances in the UEFA Champions League

International

[edit]
As of matches played 3 July 2026[35]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Cape Verde 201910
202000
202170
202270
202380
2024130
202560
202670
Total490

Honours

[edit]

Bohemians

Shamrock Rovers

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "FIFA World Cup 2026: Squad List" (PDF). FIFA. 2 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Roberto Lopes". Shamrock Rovers. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "A day with the Lopes family: 'That's why he's Pico. He's a strong fella. It makes me a very proud man'". www.irishexaminer.ie. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Bumstead, Andrew (2024). "Kriolu vs. Portuguese: Cape Verde's Linguistic Postcolonial Identity Crisis" (PDF). Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics. 47 (1). Vishvanatha Kaviraja Institute: 58. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Lopes: The whole of Cabo Verde is with us". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 "I played with, coached & managed Pico Lopes at Bohemians, his World Cup success is brilliant but not a total shock". www.thesun.ie. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Bohemians 0 - 1 Sligo Rovers". www.extratime.com. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 "Roberto Lopes". www.extratime.com. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Bray Wanderers 1 - 3 Bohemians". www.extratime.com. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Bohemians 5 - 0 Drumkeen United". www.extratime.com. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Bohemians held by Bray in bore draw". RTÉ.ie. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "2016 Leinster Senior Cup". www.extratime.com. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Harps mark McHugh send off with victory". RTÉ.ie. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Pico Lopes' dad was very generous to Bohemians". Facebook.com. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Roberto Lopes opens up on incredible journey from banking to World Cup dream". dublinlive.ie. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Roberto Lopes signs for Shamrock Rovers from Bohemians as Tallaght club gets facelift". thesun.ie. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Shamrock Rovers sign Corry, Connolly, Lopes & Devine | Goal.com". www.goal.com.
  18. ↑ https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019/0711/1061585-lopes-strikes-late-as-rovers-claim-deserved-away-draw/#:~:text=Roberto%20Lopes%20found%20redemption%20at,goal%20before%20conceding%20a%20penalty.
  19. ↑ Buttner, Paul (25 July 2019). "Shamrock Rovers come from behind to take lead to Cyprus" – via www.rte.ie.
  20. ↑ Leahy, Ed (3 November 2019). "Shamrock Rovers hold their nerve to end 32-year wait" – via www.rte.ie.
  21. ↑ Ferris, Macdara. "Europa League Report: Shamrock Rovers 2 - 2 Ilves Tampere (Shamrock Rovers win 12 - 11 on penalties AET)". extratime.com.
  22. ↑ Costello, Lee (29 November 2024). "Shamrock Rovers Become First Ever LOI Team To Reach European Knockout Stages". Balls.ie.
  23. ↑ "FAI Cup final - Shamrock Rovers 2-0 Cork City: League champions complete first double since 1987". BBC Sport. 9 November 2025.
  24. ↑ Petrie, Richard (14 October 2025). "Roberto Lopes: World Cup-bound Cape Verde defender relishing his week to remember". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  25. ↑ "Lopes set for Afcon after call-up via LinkedIn". BBC Sport.
  26. ↑ "World Cup 2026: From bank worker to World Cup - the Dublin-born defender set to face Spain". BBC Sport. 15 June 2026.
  27. ↑ "Cape Verde 2–0 Togo". ESPN. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  28. ↑ "Group a rivals name squads for Afcon". BBC Sport.
  29. ↑ "'It's a special moment for me' – Dubliner Roberto Lopes hoping for more AFCON success after opening win". Irish Independent. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  30. ↑ Williams, Ian (29 January 2024). "Afcon 2023: Cape Verde 1-0 Mauritania - Ryan Mendes penalty sends Blue Sharks to quarter-finals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  31. ↑ "Delight for Pico Lopes as Cape Verde qualify for World Cup". RTE Sport. 13 October 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  32. ↑ "'I'm probably the luckiest person in the world' - Pico Lopes on Cape Verde's 2026 World Cup qualification". RTE Sport. 13 October 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  33. ↑ "Pico Lopes stars as World Cup debutants Cape Verde claim famous draw against Spain". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  34. ↑ Pico Lopes at Soccerway. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  35. ↑ Pico Lopes at National-Football-Teams.com
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