Roberto Lopes hasn't softened his position. The Cape Verde and Shamrock Rovers defender is still calling for the Republic of Ireland's October fixtures against Israel to be scrapped — and he's not backing down just because the Dáil voted to let them go ahead.
"I said it from the start, my stance remains the same. I don't think the game should be played," Lopes told RTÉ Sport's Tony O'Donoghue. "It's a decision that should have been taken out of their hands."
He's not wrong that the situation is a mess. Players are being asked to field questions about geopolitics before a ball has been kicked. The FAI is stuck navigating a political firestorm while UEFA holds the keys to any meaningful solution — specifically whether the Dublin leg can be moved to a neutral venue. That approval isn't guaranteed.
A difficult spot for the FAI
An FAI board meeting was expected to progress discussions about relocating the home fixture, but without UEFA sign-off, it's a conversation without a conclusion. The Dáil's rejection of Opposition proposals to seek an international sporting ban on Israel hasn't resolved anything — it's just pushed the pressure back onto football's governing bodies, which is exactly where Lopes says it always should have landed.
"I just think that for the majority of people in the country, they don't want the game to be played. So I think it's time to listen to the noises outside," he said. For anyone pricing up those Nations League markets, the uncertainty around venue and atmosphere is a real variable worth factoring in.
Lopes focused on Spain — if he starts
All of this is the backdrop to Lopes preparing for something quite different: Cape Verde's first ever World Cup fixture, against Spain in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday. He won't guarantee himself a starting spot — "that's the manager's decision, I never take anything for granted" — but the Crumlin native knows the scale of the occasion.
Spain are second favourites to lift the trophy and possess what Lopes himself describes as probably the best young player in the world right now in Lamine Yamal. Cape Verde beat Serbia 3-0 in their final warm-up, which is a confidence-building result rather than a benchmark, and Lopes knows it.
"This is what it's all about. You qualify for the best tournament in our sport and you want to be playing against the best players," he said. "When we drew Spain in December, I was delighted."
Lopes is one of two League of Ireland players at this World Cup — St Patrick's Athletic goalkeeper Joseph Anang is in Ghana's squad for Group L. Both Dublin clubs will receive around €7,000 per day in FIFA compensation, amounting to a six-figure sum each. For clubs operating on League of Ireland budgets, that's not a footnote.
"It just goes to show the importance of having players at these international tournaments," Lopes said. "We continue to produce players who are at many tournaments."
Back home, the Ireland-Israel debate rumbles on. Lopes has said his piece — twice now. "I still think the game shouldn't be played."
