The path to a second successive World Cup final continues for Argentina, as the holders take on Cape Verde in the round of 32. With both sides unbeaten, could the tournament debutants spring arguably the biggest World Cup shock of all time?
Argentina vs Cape Verde: The Key Insights
The Opta supercomputer expects Argentina to have little difficulty in securing their passage to the last 16, with Lionel Scaloni’s side winning exactly 81.0% of the pre-match simulations. Argentina are only the third reigning champions to reach the World Cup knockout stages this century, after Brazil (lost to France in the 2006 quarter-finals) and France (beating on penalties in the 2022 final). Cape Verde are the first nation to reach the knockouts in their first World Cup appearance since Slovakia in 2010, and first African side to do so since Ghana in 2006.Only one of the four tournament debutants made it to the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup, and the reward for Cape Verde‘s group-stage heroics is a meeting with the defending champions, as they face star-studded Argentina in Miami.
Both the Albiceleste and the Blue Sharks are unbeaten, with Argentina winning three games from three and Cape Verde qualifying for the knockouts via a trio of draws in a group featuring two previous World Cup winners.
Argentina extended their 100% record with a win over another debutant in their final match of Group J, beating Jordan 3–1 having already wrapped up top spot with victories over Algeria and Austria.
Lionel Messi coming off the bench to net his sixth goal of the tournament after Mousa Al Tamari had halved the deficit in the second half.
Messi had already surpassed Miroslav Klose (16) as the World Cup’s greatest goalscorer, and a second successful free-kick against Jordan made him the first player in tournament history to score in seven consecutive appearances.
The Argentina captain netted 11 times in that seven-game run, and has been involved in nine goals across his last five knockout appearances at the World Cup with five goals and four assists.
Set-pieces could again prove to be key for Argentina as they take on a Cape Verde defence which has also kept two clean sheets, holding both Spain and Saudi Arabia to goalless draws either side of a thrilling 2-2 draw with Uruguay.
The second shutout made
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