Cape Verde lands Lionel Messi, Argentina after advancing to Round of 32 in World Cup

Cape Verde knows its pathway in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Fun fact: it involves Lionel Messi and the reigning world champions Argentina.

Cape Verde is going through the first World Cup of its national team history. They experienced their best qualifying campaign to date, fully taking advantage of the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams.

The Blue Sharks had determination to make noise in the tournament, which they successfully pulled off. They achieved a stunning 0-0 draw against World Cup contenders Spain in the group opener. After that, they competed in a 2-2 draw against Uruguay and concluded group action with a 0-0 tie against Saudi Arabia.

Despite only having three points with the three draws, Cape Verde did just enough to finish second in the group. As a result, they automatically qualified for the knockout rounds as they take on Argentina in the Round of 32.

The players of Cabo Verde CELEBRATE after advancing to the Round of 32 in their first-ever World Cup appearance

They will head to Miami to play Lionel Messi and Argentina!
pic.twitter.com/hRBmsAANdX

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 27, 2026

What lies ahead for Cape Verde in World Cup

Cape Verde is enjoying an inspiring underdog run as they see their World Cup campaign continue for at least one more game. The hope for them is that they can continue making noise and stunning the world with more quality performances.

Cape Verde became the smallest country by land area and the second least populated (after Iceland) to qualify for the World Cup, with a land area of 4,033 square kilometres (1,557 sq mi) and a population of just under 525,000. This was the case until Curaçao broke these records five weeks later when they qualified as well.

Cape Verde finished above Uruguay and Saudi Arabia to secure second place in Group H and advance to the next round. They only trailed Spain, who ended group play with seven points.

The Blue Sharks begin their journey in the World Cup knockout stage with a Round of 32 clash against Argentina. That matchup will commence in Miami on July 3 at 6 p.m. ET.

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