15 May 2026; Dundalk goalkeeper Enda Minogue saves a shot from Graham Burke of Shamrock Rovers during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Paul Phelan/Sportsfile
We are all Cape Verde as Rovers legend Pico joins the World Cup rota
Cathal Dervan, Editor
This is a green letter day for the League of Ireland and for Irish football, a green and white letter day if you like for the domestic game we all love so well.
Pico Lopes woke up this Tuesday morning as a World Cup footballer, that status confirmed when he was named in the Cape Verde squad on Monday.
Next week he will be ensconced in the middle of the World Cup countdown with the Cape Verde squad as they prepare for games against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
Next month his wife Leah, son Diego and their families will journey across America to follow this proud son of Crumlin on World Cup duty with games in Atlanta, Miami and Houston.
On Saturday last, he met with fans as a Nike World Cup brand ambassador at an event in the INTERSPORT Elverys outlet in Dundrum.
On Monday, family and neighbours wished him a World Cup bon voyage in his native Crumlin, not far from the Walkinstown roundabout that symbolised Italia ‘90 for a generation of Irish fans.
And the link is so appropriate. The video footage of fans dancing on that roundabout as Ireland undertook that first World Cup odyssey 36 years ago will never grow old.
Traffic ground to a halt, office desks were abandoned, even pints were displaced as the people of Walkinstown and beyond took to the streets to celebrate Jack’s Army.
That first World Cup will always be the best World Cup for my generation, for those of us who spent years waiting for the arrival of a Messiah who could transform our national team.
The great Johnny Giles got close and deserved to make it on the biggest stage with his country just as he did with Leeds United. Eoin Hand was denied the breakthrough by a referee with a leaning towards the opposition and match officials who would be the subject of VAR reviews themselves.
It was Jack Charlton who lit the flame that burned so brightly in 1990 and again in 1994. It was Jack Charlton who convinced us that Irish football was worthy of a place on the World Cup stage.
Mick McCarthy got us there again in 2002 and Walkinstown walked 500 miles around that roundabout again in honour of his Boys in Green as they soldiered on in Japan and South Korea.
That’s why the pain of Prague still hurts. That play-off against the Czech Republic and any final against Denmark was the chance for the current YBIG generation to get the magic roundabout working again.
It didn’t happen of course and we will all be innocent bystanders when Donald of the Trumps and Gianni of the Infantinos play with their football toys in America this summer.
But we can turn our World Cup attentions elsewhere, we can adopt a nation and a dream to follow.
Hands up. As someone who has worked closely with him and helped with his media engagements for the past nine months, I will be rooting for Pico Lopes and for Cape Verde next month and with good reason.
13 October 2025; Roberto Lopes of Cape Verde during the FIFA World Cup 2026 African qualifying match between Cape Verde and Eswatini at Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde in Praia, Cape Verde. Photo by Cristiano Barbosa/Sportsfile
A finer man you will struggle to find. A better representative of Irish football - born and bred and raised on songs and stories in Dublin - you won’t find.
Pico has come through the Irish football ecosystem. He is the son of an immigrant, a man who discovered international football late in life when his dad’s homeland came knocking via a social media platform.
FIVE2FOLLOW
The no nonsense approach
Troy on the move
No more Pep talk
Collins’ Euro dream
Rovers pride in Pico
Like so many others now playing in the League of Ireland, his dual nationality is the key to an international career that will reach its pinnacle in the United States.
We have players born here now who also qualify for some of the biggest and smallest nations across the world. If they are good enough to play international football and their family homelands come calling, let’s wish them well.
We’ve taken advantage of the granny rule so often ourselves. It was Scouser John Aldridge whose two goals in Malta booked us that place in Italy, Mancunian Alan McLoughlin who got us to America, Merseysider Jason McAteer who sent Holland packing and sent us on our way to the Far East.
Pico Lopes is a Dubliner. His father’s country needs him now and we wish him well. When he flies that Cape Verde flag in Atlanta, Miami and Houston he will also fly the green, white and gold with pride.
Bon voyage my friend. And the very best of luck. As the scarves now on sale in the Shamrock Rovers shop ahead of their farewell for Pico at Friday night’s game with Sligo say, we are all Cape Verde - for this summer at least.
No noise, just the news & views that matters. The Sports Hacks is a reader supported publication - if you like what you read, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber and sharing our work.
John Aldridge is the latest guest on It's There - An Irish Sports Podcast with George Hamilton and Connor Phillips.
The key stories developing today
Martin O’Neill has finally had his say on the chaotic scenes that followed Celtic’s late, late title show at Parkhead on Sunday and rejected the suggestion by the beaten Hearts camp that the pitch invasion was an embarrassment for Scottish football.
In a tense exchange with presenter Jim White during a Talksport interview on Monday, O’Neill even described the claims by Hearts and their frustrations at the way the 3-1 defeat ended as ‘nonsense’ as he broke his silence on the story that has dominated the headlines.
Hearts were so worried about the safety of their players post match that they left the ground almost immediately with their squad still in their playing gear as they boarded the team bus for a swift exit.
The Talksport website carries the full transcript of the Jim White-Martin O’Neill exchange as follows:
Jim White: “There is a suggestion that this shows a lack of class, that it’s tainted the image…”
Martin O’Neill: “I’m sorry, I totally disagree with that. I don’t know about the confrontations in terms of the Hearts players, and there’s a lot of hyperbole about that, let’s find out the real picture.
“The fact is that when we scored the third goal, the game was essentially over, there were about eight seconds left, or whatever the case may be. The referee has claimed that he had blown the final whistle at the end. And then there’s obvious excitement, we have scored to win the league…”
JW: “Yeah, but they shouldn’t have come on the pitch, Martin, should they?”
MON: “Well, start telling that to every single football club…”
JW: “Well, hang on a second Martin, Hearts called it an embarrassment to Scottish football, do you agree this was?”
MON: “As they might do. Well, I don’t believe that, I just don’t believe it, I think it’s nonsense.”
JW: “How’s it nonsense though, Martin, when some fans are up confronting Hearts players?”
MON: “I assumed that the final whistle had gone at exactly the same moment that we put the ball in the net for the third goal. It’s a home game and we’d just won the league, and the fans have come onto the field, alright? Okay, so they should stay put then?”
JW: “Have you spoken to Derek McInnes since winning it?”
MON: “No. We’ve shaken hands and I have given him praise, which he has deserved.”
JW: “At the end of the day though, Martin, again, I can’t let this go. It seems that in certain quarters within the stadium, all discipline was lost, and some fans just… it was a free for all.”
MON: “What do you mean, a free for all?”
JW: “If you fancied going on the pitch, you could go on the pitch. Those who fancied going on, went on.”
MON: “Was there not a scene at Ibrox where both sets of fans came onto the pitch?”
JW: “And we called that out as well, Martin.”
MON: “Yeah, alright, well done. Well, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. Let me have a look at the picture, let me have a look as if I’m the judge and jury of these particular things. Let me see the scenes at the end of the day, and then I’ll come back to you, okay?”
Ireland hero Troy Parrott is ready to fly the coup at AZ Alkmaar and then the next step in his career with a move to one of the biggest clubs in England.
The Irish Daily Star reports on Parrott’s comments suggesting a move is imminent. The comments were made after Alkmaar’s final game of the season, a 3-3 draw with NAC Breda. Ironically, Parrott picked up a rib injury in the game which may rule him out of the upcoming Ireland games against Qatar and Canada.
AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Leeds United and Everton are all believed to be interested in the Dubliner who will command a fee in excess of €25million according to the report.
Asked about his future on Sunday, Parrot said: “It is difficult to say, because a lot can happen in football.
“But if it was the last match, I have had the best two years of my life. I have met fantastic people and the club has ensured that I could take steps forward.
“Now it is important for me to take the next step in my career and to play at the highest level. No, I don’t know where to next. I have no wish and I have no dreams regarding a destination I want to go to.”
‘Numerous reports across the English media claim that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City after their final game of the Premier League season against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The story broke as Arsenal were midway through the 1-0 win against Burnley at The Emirates that leaves them on the brink of the title that Guardiola has won six times with City.
Whilst City bosses have refused to comment on the story, BBC Sport is reporting that sources have told them that the club is preparing for Guardiola’s exit after the Villa fixture.
City face Bournemouth away on Tuesday night when a home win would guarantee Arsenal the title so the pre-match timing of the Guardiola story has surprised many.
Reports also suggest that former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who previously worked with Guardiola at City, is the favourite to take the job.
During his decade with the Blues, Guardiola won 20 trophies including six Premier League titles, the Champions League, three FA Cups and five EFL Cups.
The Championship may appear to be beyond him this season but Guardiola has already won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup this term.
Nathan Collins has been linked with a move to Liverpool this summer and he intends to show them why by inspiring Brentford to the victory they need on Sunday to realise their European dream.
Keith Andrews’ side go to Anfield in eighth spot in the Premier League table after Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace but they could still qualify for Europe with the right result on Merseyside.
“It’s a frustrating one,” said Bees skipper Collins after the Palace game according to the Irish Examiner. “I don’t think we started great and it took us a while to get in the game.
“In the second half, we improved a lot, controlled the game more and had the better chances. We threw the kitchen sink at it. We had a good few chances and on another day one of them goes in. Unfortunately, it didn’t.
“We’ll take the point and go to Liverpool. We’re optimistic, we’ll give it our all and we’ll have a right good go at them.”
Shamrock Rovers led the social media round of applause as their captain Pico Lopes was named in the Cape Verde squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in America.
The Crumlin native is one of 26 players who will fly the flag for the island nation at their first World Cup this season when Cape Verde will face Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in their group.
The42 website reports on how Rovers welcome the news of Pico’s inclusion on their social media channels.
“We’re all very proud of you,” the Hoops wrote on X. “Enjoy every moment representing the Blue Sharks in the USA.”
All photos on TheSportsHacks are provided by Sportsfile.com
Have you got something to share? Want to get involved? We’re always ready to hear a different view and we’re always on the look out for new contributors - young and old, experienced writers or fresh minds.
Simply reply to this email with your details and we’ll be in touch.
