Argentina’s World Cup title defense rolls into the knockout rounds Friday afternoon, and for the first time in a week, Lionel Messi will be on the pitch from the opening whistle. The reigning champions face tournament debutants Cape Verde in a Round of 32 matchup at Miami Stadium in Florida, and the gap in experience couldn’t be wider.
Messi leads the golden boot race with six goals so far. He came off the bench in the final group stage win over Jordan, saving his legs for exactly this kind of moment. Manager Lionel Scaloni rested several key players in that game. Now he’s putting his best XI back together.
Argentina is fully healthy for the first time this tournament
Tottenham center-back Cristian Romero shook off a minor knee scare from the Austria match and has been cleared to play. He’ll pair with Lisandro Martínez in central defense. That’s a massive upgrade for a back line that didn’t really need one — Argentina allowed just one goal in three group games.
Alexis Mac Allister also returns to the midfield after getting the night off against Jordan. Lautaro Martínez is expected to start alongside Messi up front, with Julián Álvarez waiting on the bench. Scaloni has every weapon available. He’s not holding anything back.
Argentina swept Group J with nine points. They beat Algeria 3-0, handled Austria 2-0, and closed with a 3-1 win over Jordan. They’re on a ten-game winning streak across all competitions. Nobody doubts they’re the favorites.
Cape Verde’s story is the surprise of the World Cup
The Blue Sharks have never played in a knockout round at this level. They didn’t even win a group stage game — and they still advanced. Cape Verde drew all three matches in Group H: 0-0 against Spain, 2-2 against Uruguay, and another 0-0 against Saudi Arabia. That defensive discipline got them through.
Now they get the best player in tournament history.
Cape Verde will get left-back Sidny Lopes Cabral back from suspension. That helps. But the midfield is banged up. Telmo Arcanjo is out with a muscle injury. Jamiro Monteiro and Kevin Lenini are both dealing with minor issues and might not go full 90 minutes. Coach Bubista is expected to throw up a 4-5-1 low block and pray Vozinha, their 40-year-old goalkeeper, has the game of his life.
Vozinha has been the breakout star of this tournament. Three clean sheets in three group games, including a shutout of Spain. He’s the reason Cape Verde is still alive. He’ll need to be even better on Friday.
Argentina has the depth, the form, and the best player on the planet. Cape Verde has a dream and a brick wall in goal. One of those usually wins these games. The other makes the story worth watching.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. Eastern. In the UK, ITV1 will carry the broadcast.
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