Midnight for Cinderella? Messi and Argentina to face underdog Cape Verde | OneFootball

Cape Verde hasn't won -- but hasn't lost -- in its first World Cup

The tiny island nation of Cape Verde is one of the 2026 World Cup's best feel-good stories, battling mighty Spain to a scoreless draw in the Group H opener -- a match that made 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha -- a nickname that means "granny" -- a global sensation. The Blue Sharks tied Uruguay 2-2 and Saudi Arabia 0-0, earning an unlikely three points to finish group runners up behind only Spain.

Their reward? A Round of 32 win-or-go-home match against defending champion and top-rated FIFA side Argentina, led by all-time great and Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi.

Still, Cape Verde coach Bubista remains optimistic.

“This tournament has shown that the smaller teams can compete with the so-called superior teams,” he told reporters earlier this week. “We compete in our own way, staying true to our identity. Trying to honor what our country and people represent."

Bubista acknowledged Messi's greatness -- the 39-year-old is tied with Kyllian Mbappé for the Golden Boot with 6 goals and passed Germany's Miroslav Klose to take the all-time lead in World Cup goals scored (19) in the second group-stage match -- but said his team must prepare for La Albiceleste's whole squad.

“We as a team have our own strategy, not just against Messi, but against the whole Argentina team," he said. "They are the current world champion, one of the best in the whole tournament, and we will play against the whole team. We know Messi is one of the best players in the world, but we will play with courage, and we have to believe we can compete.”

The Blue Sharks qualified for their first World Cup in the first year FIFA expanded the field from 32 to 48 teams; with a population of about 500,000, Cape Verde is the second smallest nation ever to play in the planet's most popular sporting event. They're also among the lowest-rated qualifiers in FIFA's rankings at No. 67. Only Ghana (73rd), Curaçao (82nd), Haiti (83rd) and New Zealand (85th) ranked lower.

Argentina has a history of suffering World Cup upsets

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni and his players, playing Goliath to Cape Verde's David in the lopsided match kicking off at 5 p.m. CDT today, are saying the right things.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni tells reporters his team will not underestimate Cape Verde in this evening's World Cup Round of 32 match in Miami. | CHANDAN KHANNA/GettyImages

Scaloni called the Blue Sharks "an opponent we must respect."

"They have played very well. Margins of error are very small. If you lose, you’re out," he said. "We are coming in at a good place, but it won’t be easy. (Cape Verde has) skilled players. We have watched them and we are not surprised. They are a good team. They’re not here by chance.”

Argentina is FIFA's top-rated team and outscored its group stage opponents 8-1 (Algeria, 3-0; Austria, 2-0; and Jordan 3-1.

Betting companies give Cape Verde only about a 5-percent chance to beat the defending champions tonight, but La Albiceleste can't fall prey to that overwhelming confidence. Just four years ago, Argentina (then No. 3 in FIFA's ratings) lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia (51st) in a group-stage match with roughly the same odds. The loss, considered the greatest upset in World Cup history, snapped Argentina's 36-match unbeaten streak, but didn't prevent it from sweeping into the knockout round and ultimately winning the nation's third World Cup.

A loss tonight would be worse; the stakes are much greater, the consequences of losing more dire. This is the knockout round, where the slightest mistake can end a team's tournament.

Expect Mesi to shine and Argentina to take care of business. But don't underestimate the underdogs.