2026 World Cup: Argentina vs. Cape Verde—Probable Lineups

Argentina’s solidity, driven by the evergreen talent of Lionel Messi, will face off against the unpredictability of Cape Verde, a national team making its World Cup debut that advanced from the group stage without a single win—but also without a single loss. The two teams will face off in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup at midnight Italian time between Friday and Saturday, 6 p.m. local time at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The match will be officiated by Canadian Drew Fischer, who previously refereed the group stage matches France vs. Iraq (3-0) and Croatia vs. Ghana (2-1).

Argentina heads into its first knockout match with sky-high enthusiasm. Messi, who turned 39 on June 24, is the World Cup’s leading scorer with 6 goals (tied with Kylian Mbappé), and Scaloni has a full squad at his disposal, with only one question mark regarding Leonardo Balerdi’s calf condition—though he is expected to start on the bench anyway. In the group stage, they posted three wins out of three: 3-0 over Algeria, 2-0 over Austria, and 3-1 over Jordan. The Albiceleste is one of only three teams with a 100% win record, along with France and Mexico.

On the other side, Cape Verde is dreaming of an upset, counting on the saves of Vozinha—one of the most recognizable faces on the team led by Coach Bubista—and on a defense capable of containing Spain in their first match, holding them to a 0-0 draw. Almost everyone is available for the match against the Albiceleste: the only player likely to miss the game is Arcanjo, sidelined by a muscle strain sustained during the 2-2 draw against Uruguay.

Probable Lineups

ARGENTINA (4-4-2): E. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Li. Martinez, Medina; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister, Almada; Messi, La. Martinez. Head Coach: Scaloni.

CAPE VERDE (4-3-3): Vozinha; Pires, Lopez, Costa, Stopira; Cabral, Pina, Duarte; Rodrigues, Benchimol, Monteiro. Head Coach: Bubista.