Argentina will face Cabo Verde in the Round of 32 after finishing first in Group J, and the matchup now gives Lionel Messi and his teammates a knockout opponent that has already made noise against stronger names. Argentina beat Algeria and Austria in its opening two games, then learned it will meet World Cup debutants Cabo Verde next.
The reason this is drawing attention today is simple: Messi has scored five goals in Argentina’s first two group-stage games, and the champions from the 2022 World Cup are moving into the part of the bracket where one mistake can end everything. With the keyword Argentina vs Cape Verde suddenly relevant, the focus turns to a team led by Lionel Scaloni and built around Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez and Rodrigo de Paul in midfield.
Argentina’s path through Group J was efficient, but Cabo Verde’s was not ordinary. The debutants drew against Spain and Uruguay in the group stage, which is why this pairing carries more weight than a routine mismatch on paper. Argentina may be the stronger side, but Cabo Verde have already shown they can make established teams work for every inch.
That is what gives this Round of 32 tie its edge. Argentina are expected to go on from here, and if they do, Australia or Egypt await in the next round. A deeper run could bring Colombia in the quarter-finals if Colombia wins Group K, with Brazil or England possible after that, while Spain and France remain the favorites on the other side of the bracket and Morocco and Germany are still in the mix.
For now, though, the immediate test is clear. Argentina topped Group J and now meet a World Cup debutant that refused to be treated like one. Messi’s five-goal start has set the tone, but the next stage will ask whether Argentina’s quality can turn early promise into a long knockout run.
