Preview: Argentina vs. Cape Verde - prediction, team news, lineups

World Cup 2026 co-favourites Argentina face off against competition debutants Cape Verde at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami in Friday's round of 32 clash.

The Albiceleste were one of three teams in the group stage to stay unblemished, and they face the Blue Sharks, whose defensive resilience has already produced two clean sheets from three matches.

Match preview

It is impressive to think that Argentina's last defeat in a knockout match at any tournament came seven years ago in Belo Horizonte, where they fell in the 2019 Copa America semi-finals to fierce rivals Brazil.

Since that 2-0 defeat, Lionel Scaloni has guided La Seleccion to a pair of Copa titles in 2021 and 2023, either side of a historic run to the 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar.

The world champions have shown little sign of slowing down in North America, with the pre-tournament favourites winning all three group-stage games, a feat they shared with co-hosts Mexico and a star-studded France.

Not even 39-year-old Lionel Messi has shown any signs of letting up, with the Inter Miami forward scoring six times already, although he is currently tied with Kylian Mbappe, who has played a game more.

Seven years removed from losing to Brazil in the 2019 Copa America semi-finals, Messi and his teammates look to extend the team's 10-match winning streak across their continental competition and the World Cup.

Cape Verde face the prospect of snapping La Albiceleste's overall winning streak and sequence of triumphs in knockout football — both standing at 10 — but Bubista's team should have nothing to fear.

One of four debutants at the 2026 finals, along with Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, only the Blue Sharks made it through to the first knockout round.

Indeed, they broke new ground by playing in different ways: manacling Spain in their first-ever World Cup match, with Vozinha at the forefront and centre, responding to the setback of pegging Uruguay back for 2-2 in a match they led 1-0 and trailed 2-1 and holding Saudi Arabia for a second goalless encounter.

While they are the lowest scorers among the 32 teams in the knockout stage, the Blue Sharks' defensive resoluteness stands them in good stead against any opponent in knockout football.

They will need to stay compact out of possession and limit the world champions like they did Spain in their tournament debut, but it is a challenge Bubista will accept head-on as Tubaroes Azuis seek a historic victory at Argentina's expense.

Argentina World Cup form:

Argentina form (all competitions):

Cape Verde World Cup form:

Cape Verde form (all competitions):

Team News

Having started the success over Jordan on the bench, Messi and Alexis Mac Allister should return to the XI, while Rodrigo De Paul, who was rested, is likely to play from the off.

Messi has scored six of Argentina's eight goals in North America, accounting for 75% of the defending champions' strikes as they continue their journey to retain their crown.

Still, other players in the group must step up if Scaloni's team are to be successful, something 38-goal Lautaro Martinez, 14-goal Julian Alvarez and box-crashing Enzo Fernandez hope to do in the decisive stages of the Mundial.

Although Cristian Romero looked to have injured his knee in the win over Austria, the old-school centre-back is reportedly fine and should return to the team at Nicolas Otamendi's expense.

The Blue Sharks faced a scare ahead of their final group fixture after Telmo Arcanjo, Jamiro Monteiro and Kevin Lenini all seemed to suffer injuries; however, only Arcanjo's muscle issue has kept the midfielder out since, with the other two featuring.

While Dailon Rocha Livramento scored four of the team's 16 goals in qualifying, the forward has yet to open his account on the global stage.

Nonetheless, Livramento's overall tally of six goals for the national team pales in comparison to Ryan Mendes's 22 and sits three shy of Garry Rodrigues's 10.

Argentina possible starting lineup:

E. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro M., Medina; De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernandez, Almada; Messi, Lautaro M.

Cape Verde possible starting lineup:

Vozinha; Moreira, Pico, Diney, S. Cabral; Lenini; Mendes, Duarte, Monteiro, J. Cabral; Livramento

We say: Argentina 2-0 Cape Verde

Only France are ranked higher than Argentina in our World Cup betting guide ahead of the defending champions' meeting with Cape Verde.

While the Blue Sharks have frustrated two of their three opponents so far, the South American heavyweights possess one man: Messi, and one of the sport's greatest players is likely to be the difference-maker in Miami on Friday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.