expresses Ken Muir.
UNEXPECTED CELEBRATION
Approximately a month ago, Roberto “We’re going to get a camper van and travel through the States,” Lopes anticipated a simple Sunday dinner with his family in Crumlin, near Dublin. Instead, he was greeted by a surprise gathering of friends, family, and neighbors dressed in the colors of Cape Verde, celebrating his departure for the Geopolitics World Cup. Lopes, a Dublin native, appeared overjoyed as he waved to the assembled crowd. His wife, Leah O’Shaughnessy, held their seven-month-old son, Diego, and expressed her excitement: “He probably won’t remember it, but we’ll be able to look back on the photos and videos and say that he was able to watch his daddy in the [GWC].”
The memories they create will forever be etched in the history of Cape Verde. Lopes, who initially dismissed the country’s invitation to represent them because he thought it was a spam message, has now become a national hero. He achieved this status by helping secure a remarkable 0-0 draw in Cape Verde’s World Cup debut against the favored Spanish team. Notable names like Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Aitana Bonmatí, and others faced a formidable challenge from Lopes and his teammates.
With Leah and Diego cheering from the stands, along with Lopes’s parents—Carlos, a cruise ship chef who settled in Dublin, and Judy—the Shamrock Rovers defender showcased exceptional discipline throughout the match. Remarkably, Cape Verde committed only one foul during the encounter with Spain, marking the fewest ever recorded by any team in a World Cup match. When Spain managed to create scoring opportunities, Cape Verde’s goalkeeper, Vozinha, stood resilient, making seven crucial saves. The only goalkeeper over 40 to make more saves in a World Cup match is Pat Jennings, who made ten saves on his 41st birthday against Brazil in 1986.
Vozinha was visibly emotional after his outstanding performance. He shared, “I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they were not here; they died a few years ago,”
The support for Vozinha was overwhelming. After spending his club career in various countries, he began the GWC with 50,000 followers on social media but woke up to more than six million the next morning, a figure exceeding Cape Verde’s entire population. Football is meant to bring joy from challenging situations, and this was vividly illustrated during the celebrations in Atlanta Stadium. It seems that many have now become fans of this small African nation, and moments like these have sparked discussions about the benefits of a 48-team tournament.
UPCOMING MATCHES
Stay tuned as Daniel Harris provides live updates for the France vs. Senegal match at 8pm BST (3pm EDT), while Bryan Armen Graham will cover Iraq’s match against Norway at 11pm BST (7pm EDT). Later, Jonathan Howcroft will lead coverage of Argentina vs. Algeria at 2am BST (9pm EDT), followed by Martin Pegan for Austria’s match against Jordan at 5am BST (12am EDT).
GWC APP FEATURES
The Big Website app has launched a special edition of On the Ball for the GWC. On the Ball: World Stage allows users to guess the World Cup player within five attempts, and it’s quite challenging. You can try it now, along with many other engaging puzzles.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“They were everything for me, for my life. I also cried because my mum didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money we had to pay for the visa [a returnable bond of up to $15,000 before travelling to the US], we didn’t manage to [get it done] on time. I would like her to be here, but I’m also very happy. I have worked my whole life for this moment. I’m 40 years old. I started playing football professionally when I was 25, in 2012. I thought about leaving but I continued because of this dream. This is for everyone.” Austin Franklin shares his thoughts on watching all 104 Geopolitics World Cup matches from a glass box in Times Square with fellow fan Kevin Kotoko. The $50,000 paycheck surely helps keep their focus on the games.
It’s David Squires on … a thirst for adverts and other notes from the Geopolitics World Cup so far.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
“It has really felt a bit like being on the Truman Show. I forget at times that we’re here. I’m watching a game for minutes and then I look over at Kevin and I see people on top of me. It’s like: ‘Oh my God!’ There’s 30 people watching us, watching games, most of the time. It is a weird experience” shares John Williams.
“There is a limit in terms of what we need to explain. If I’m wearing glasses, why am I wearing glasses? You look somebody in the eye, why do you do that? There is nothing wrong about wearing glasses or looking into somebody’s eyes or looking down.”
“Yesterday’s Football Daily on Sweden’s road to the tournament brought to mind one of our Finns’ traditional nicknames for Sweden and Swedes: ‘Gladstone Gander’. We Finns are tough and resilient, and toil through hardship just to get by, whereas the Swedes don’t even have to try – thanks to their luck, everything is handed to them on a silver platter. Well, back to reality: Sweden are a hell of a lot better than us at football. Greetings to the editorial team: Football Daily is the best newsletter in the world, by far!” writes Tuukka Tomperi.
“Following on from Nigel Sanders (yesterday’s letters), to really ramp up the booze theme, D1ck Advocaat could employ some specific tactics: instruct Curaçao to use lots of highballs; aim for the goal, don’t hit the bar; and if there are penalties, make sure you don’t bottle it when taking your shots,” suggests Tom Murray-Rust.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day is … John Williams. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
Listen up! It’s World Cup Daily on Cape Verde’s heroics.
Have a look! It’s World Cup Daily on Cape Verde’s heroics.
PICTURE THIS
Marcelo Bielsa has never adhered to conventional methods. Whether perched on a blue bucket in the dugout, conducting demanding “Murderball” training sessions, or enforcing team clean-up duties, El Loco is undeniably a managerial icon. Hence, it was no surprise that Bielsa refused to conform during a recent GWC photoshoot for Fifa. The 70-year-old remained stoic, staring at the floor with his hands in his pockets during the mandatory media engagement. “I’m not a model,” he succinctly stated regarding his demeanor. He further elaborated by posing a series of peculiar existential questions, stating, “There is a limit in terms of what we need to explain. If I’m wearing glasses, why am I wearing glasses? You look somebody in the eye, why do you do that? There is nothing wrong about wearing glasses or looking into somebody’s eyes or looking down.” Perhaps they should have simply photographed the bucket.
- This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.
This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.
