Argentina vs Cape Verde: Messi to partner with Lautaro

Argentina are aiming for a place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, but they will have to overcome Cape Verde, a newcomer team that has surprised many with its disciplined defense.

Argentina needs to decipher the Cape Verde phenomenon. Photo: Reuters .

Argentina entered their clash with Cape Verde at the Hard Rock Stadium (Miami) as a top contender for the 2026 World Cup title. Lionel Scaloni's team had won all three group stage matches, becoming one of only three teams to maintain a perfect record, alongside Mexico and France .

Consistent form has helped the defending champions extend their winning streak to 10 consecutive victories in knockout rounds at the World Cup and Copa America.

The last time Argentina lost in a knockout match was in the 2019 Copa America semi-final against Brazil . Since then, Scaloni and his team have won two Copa America titles in 2021 and 2023, with the 2022 World Cup in between.

At 39 years old, Lionel Messi still maintains an incredible goal-scoring record. The Inter Miami forward has already scored 6 goals at the 2026 World Cup, equaling Kylian Mbappe's record despite playing one less game. Messi is currently directly involved in 75% of Argentina's goals at the tournament.

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Alongside the captain, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, and Enzo Fernandez are expected to share the goal-scoring burden as the tournament enters its decisive stages. Good news for Argentina is that center-back Cristian Romero has recovered from a minor knee injury and is likely to return to the starting lineup.

Conversely, Cape Verde wrote a fairytale story in their first World Cup appearance. The African representative was the only newcomer to advance from the group stage after drawing with Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia.

Despite being considered the underdog, the "Blue Sharks" still have reason to be confident thanks to their tenacious fighting spirit and well-organized defensive style. However, against a high-flying Argentina team boasting a resurgent Messi, the South American representatives are still considered to have a strong chance of advancing.

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Source: https://znews.vn/argentina-vs-cape-verde-messi-da-cap-lautaro-post1665953.html