Pico Lopes is still walking on air after starring in Cape Verde's stirring performance to shut out Spain in their World Cup opener on Monday, but there's little time for the Shamrock Rovers defender to take it all in with the games coming thick and fast.

Lopes, 33, was excellent for the underdogs who frustrated their vaunted opponents in a goalless stalemate.

It's the latest chapter in a fairytale story for Lopes, famously recruited to play for the country of his father's birth through LinkedIn.

Next up for Cape Verde is a clash with Uruguay in Miami on Sunday. The South Americans started their tournament with a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia.

It's been such a whirlwind for Lopes, and he admitted he's still trying to process it.

"Very tired this morning as you expect but we're waking up very happy after a great point in our first ever World Cup game," he said from the team's base in Tampa.

"It's definitely a surreal moment. After the game I felt a bit lost in the headlights. I was looking for my family and just wanted to celebrate that moment with them. But then afterwards you're in the air of 'what just happened here?'.

"I suppose in a competitive environment it's really unusual to be celebrating a draw but I had some time to myself in the dressing room reflecting on it. That point, what that means to us, our first ever point at a World Cup against one of the best teams in the world, it's a very happy moment for us and I'm very proud of this group."

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Pico Lopes throws his body at the ball to deny Mikel Oyarzabal

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In this part of the world Lopes' performance drew comparisons to Paul McGrath's famous showing against Italy at Giants Stadium in USA 94.

However the Crumlin man was keen to talk up the power of Cape Verde's collective.

"We knew going into the game we'd be up against it, they'd have most of the ball and we'd have to be resolute in our defending and maybe hope that they had a bit of an off day in terms of firing at the goal," he said.

"Thankfully our goalkeeper Vozinha was amazing and he deserves all the plaudits, 40 years of age and putting in performances like that.

"It's about a group. It's about a country celebrating this together. The performance is something we've worked on over the last few weeks. We knew what sort of game we'd be getting into and we got our just rewards for that."

Lopes has been inundated with messages from Ireland in the aftermath of the Blue Sharks' tournament debut.

He had a brief moment with his family, watching proudly on from the stands, but things continue to move so quickly in the USA that he was on the plane to Tampa before the enormity of Cape Verde's achievement really hit home.

"I only got to see (my family) in the stadium," he said. "I had an idea where they'd be sitting in the stadium. I managed to look up and wave in the direction and I could see them waving back. Then after the game, we were straight from the stadium to the airport and back in Tampa that night.

"I didn't get to stay around in the stadium, but the day before the game, I was able to see (his wife) Leah and (son) Diego and the family at the hotel, which was lovely. It feels like forever since I've been back at home and just in that sort of natural routine of waking up with the baby and being around everybody. To have that moment and just to give them all a squeeze was really nice.

"I have messages still on my phone today from the people back home. Some people probably haven't had more than two conversations with me, but they've reached out to me and sent their well wishes and congratulations. It's amazing. It's overwhelming, really, the support that I've had from back home.

"That's all from friends, family, Shamrock Rovers fans, League of Ireland fans and people who just managed to pick up on this Cape Verde story and think it's the best thing ever.

"I'm hoping to get back to everyone. It'll be difficult, but I'll try my best."

The fairytale continues for Lopes and Cape Verde, who could turbo-charge their aspirations of making it out of the group if they upset Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay this weekend.

It's surreal stuff for Lopes, but he's taking it all in, appreciating every second, and striving to reach even greater heights.

"This is the stuff of dreams for me, it's a pleasure and I'm absolutely privileged to be able to live my dream," he added.

"I never would have thought it. To be honest, at certain stages in your career, you just get the head down and work hard and try to be successful in everything you do every day, and where them paths and journeys lead to, you never could imagine where they'd go.

"You have to believe you can create something and you have to dream about it. I referenced this before, but I think I've always been a dreamer."

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Source: RTE