When Carlos and Judy Lopes bought a home in a new Crumlin development in 1988, they chose the corner house beside a triangular patch of grass.They anticipated that if they had children, those children would need a safe place to play. The world over, footballers learn to kick a ball on patches of grass like this one. This is where Shamrock Rovers defender Roberto “Pico” Lopes (33) began his improbable journey to the World Cup. A number of players have gone on to appear at a World Cup after playing in the League of Ireland, but on Monday, he will become the first active League of Ireland footballer to play in the tournament. Today, at the cul-de-sac entrance, there is a picture of Lopes and the street is festooned with Cape Verde flags, a country most Irish people would struggle to locate on a map. Until now. Judy and Carlos Lopes with the baby-blue shark given to them by their son Pico, in acknowledgment of Cape Verde's 'Blue Sharks' nickname. The trophy is the Bohemians Player of the Year trophy from 2015. Photograph: Ronan McGreevy Carlos Lopes was born on São Nicolau, one of 10 islands in the Cape Verde archipelago, leaving at the age of 16 to go seafaring. He met Judy in the 1980s and they settled in Dublin. “We hadn’t a clue about football,” Judy says looking back. Pico started playing football in the Loreto primary school in Crumlin, where Judy is now secretary. Lourdes Celtic Football Club is around the corner. There is a picture of him as an eight-year-old wearing his Lourdes kit. “I thought it would be an hour’s free babysitting on a Saturday afternoon; happy days. I didn’t think I’d be sitting pitchside years later. He really took to it,” she says. Judy and Carlos Lopes next to a Cape Verde World Cup flag outside their home in Crumlin, Dublin. Photograph: Ronan McGreevy “When he was a small baby, he was always carrying a ball in his hands. His dream was to become a footballer,” says Pico’s father. “Now, he’s in the World Cup. That’s his dream done.” Cape Verde’s journey to the World Cup was no fluke. They finished ahead of African giants Cameroon, who have qualified for more World Cups than any other country on the continent. Cape Verde has a population of about 530,000, but its diaspora stretches to many multiples of that figure. The Cape Verde FA has been diligent in its recruitment of eligible players. Famously, Pico was contacted on LinkedIn in 2018 with a view to playing for the country. The message he received was written in Portuguese, so, thinking it was spam, he ignored it. Nine months later, then-Cape Verde head coach Rui Águas contacted him in English. The question was simple: “would you like to represent the country of your father?” Forty-four caps later, it’s clear he made the right choice. The entrance to Ashling Close in Crumlin celebrates Pico Lopes's appearance in the World Cup for Cape Verde. Cape Verde could hardly ask for a more difficult opening game – they meet European champions and pre-tournament favourites Spain in Atlanta on Monday evening (5pm Irish time). [ ‘I feel like I am representing two countries’: Crumlin born Pico Lopes ready for World Cup debutOpens in new window ]“When I say to him that football is tough, he says, ‘Dad, it is 11 men against 11 men’,” says his father. His mother adds: “I will say he’s very calm under pressure. He’s a very calm personality. He doesn’t get it from me.” Cape Verde are known as the Blue Sharks. When Pico Lopes and his wife Leah announced she was pregnant last year, they bought his parents a baby-blue shark toy. It has pride of place on the family sofa. The couple welcomed Diego last October. Pico insists he’s not named after Maradona. Pico Lopes is primed to make his 45th appearance for Cape Verde in Monday's World Cup Group H game against Spain in Atlanta, US. Photograph: Maddie Meyer - FIFA via Getty Images Diego is at the World Cup with Leah and Pico’s brothers. Pico’s in-laws have hired a camper van for the duration. In the meantime, his family has been fielding media inquiries from around the world. “I can’t keep up with the fuss,” says Judy Lopes. “I wouldn’t like to be a celebrity at all. It’s been one thing after another. How do they cope it with all the time? “Half of me can’t wait to get back to normal, but we’ll enjoy the buzz while it’s happening.”