Meet the TU Dublin Graduate Making World Cup History
Ireland may not be represented at the World Cup this year, but TU Dublin is proud to have one of its graduates playing in the tournament. A huge shout-out to Roberto (Pico) Lopes, a graduate of BA Leisure Management in Cathal Brugha Street (now BSc Sports & Leisure Management), who is currently representing Cape Verde on football’s biggest stage at the FIFA World Cup 2026. While studying at TU Dublin (formally DIT), Roberto was supported through the Sport Scholarship Programme and also lined out for the DIT Premier Team.
Roberto’s journey to international football is anything but typical. While studying in Cathal Brugha Street, he set up a LinkedIn profile as part of a course requirement, years later, that simple step would change everything. In 2019, the Cape Verde national team reached out to him via LinkedIn after discovering his eligibility through his father. The first message, written in Portuguese, was ignored, but a follow-up months later prompted Roberto to translate it, revealing a life-changing opportunity to represent the small archipelago’s national team.
Before heading to the tournament, Roberto, known to many as “Pico”, was given a heartfelt surprise send-off by family, friends and neighbours in Crumlin, transforming what he thought was a simple visit home into a memorable celebration of his journey from local pitches to the world stage, complete with bunting and flags (see picture).
Fast forward to today, and Roberto played a key role for Cape Verde at their first-ever World Cup. In their opening match against European champions Spain, he delivered an outstanding defensive performance, making crucial clearances and helping lead a disciplined backline that held Spain scoreless in a historic 0–0 draw.
His success is also a reminder that sport is about more than what happens on the pitch, with the teamwork, leadership and management skills developed at TU Dublin helping him along the way.
We’re incredibly proud to count him among our alumni and wish him and Cape Verde every success for the rest of the tournament.