Cape Verde’s defender, Pico Lopes, nearly missed the opportunity to represent his country at the World Cup after dismissing a national team invitation as spam. Lopes received the invitation via LinkedIn and initially believed it was unsolicited junk mail. The historic draw achieved by the Cape Verde national team is now accompanied by the surprising story of Lopes’ near miss. He almost forfeited his international career due to the misidentification of the crucial message. This incident highlights the unconventional methods teams are using to contact players and the potential for miscommunication in the digital age. Fortunately, the invitation was verified, allowing Lopes to join the squad and contribute to their successful World Cup qualification campaign.