Cape Verde demonstrated that no dream is out of reach at the World Cup, according to Pico Lopes.

Cape Verde's remarkable World Cup run has set a shining example for other small nations to emulate, according to defender Pico Lopes, who reflected on the islanders' narrow defeat to Argentina on Friday.

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The defending champions required a Diney Borges own goal in the 111th minute to secure a thrilling last-32 tie victory, following a grueling extra-time period in Miami, to overcome the plucky Cape Verdeans.

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With a population of just over 500,000 people, Cape Verde has made a significant impact on the global stage, having held powerhouses Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia to draws in their maiden World Cup appearance.

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Lopes, who was born in Ireland, expressed his pride in the team's achievements, stating, "What we achieved, we wanted to show what was possible for small nations, that with big hearts, you can believe, and dream anything is possible."

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He also voiced his hope that the current team has inspired young Cape Verdeans to follow in their footsteps, saying, "I hope this team here now has inspired some young Cape Verdeans to be here next, we show what's possible, we show what you can do when you get to this stage and meet some of the best teams in the world."

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Goalkeeper Vozinha emerged as one of the stars of the World Cup, thanks to his outstanding man-of-the-match performance against Spain in the Blue Sharks' opening game, which saw his social media following skyrocket from 50,000 to over 19 million during the tournament.

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Vozinha, who is currently without a club, reflected on the significance of the World Cup for Cape Verde, saying, "The World Cup means a lot to us, because it is something we have wanted for a long time, we qualified and realised the dream, not just for the national team or me, but for the entire people of Cape Verde."

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He also expressed his pride in the team's achievements, stating, "We are very proud of everything we have achieved, obviously, we are disappointed with the result because we wanted to advance to the next round."

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Argentina, who had cruised through the group stages, initially seemed poised for another victory, thanks to Lionel Messi's 20th World Cup goal, but Cape Verde refused to give up, twice leveling the score.

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Deroy Duarte's strike on the hour mark forced the game into extra-time, and even when Lisandro Martinez restored Argentina's lead, a stunning strike from Sidny Lopes Cabral had Cape Verde dreaming again, before Borges turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Cristian Romero.

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Pico Lopes has also become a hero in Ireland, where he plays for Shamrock Rovers, and he credited the team with putting Cape Verde on the map over the past few weeks.

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He said, "When we qualified for the World Cup, we wanted to go and show that we belong here, I think our performances over the group stage and tonight, we showed that we can compete with some of the best teams in the world."

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Lopes noted that one of the most significant outcomes of the World Cup is that Cape Verde is now recognized globally, saying, "One of the pleasing things that has come out of this World Cup is that nobody has to ask what Cape Verde is, they know where we are on the map, they know what we're like as a team."