The victors of this match will move on to face Egypt, who recently triumphed over Australia in a penalty shootout. Notably, the Socceroos selected two central defenders to take their penalties, one of whom is only 18 years old—a curious decision. This marks Egypt’s first advancement from a knockout match in World Cup history. Follow the action here with Scott Murray:
Aand we’re going to penalties in Australia v Egypt. Follow along here. I am now liveblogging a liveblog. They actually pay me for this:
In the course of my thorough research for this liveblog—searching for things like “Who is this Messi guy”—I stumbled upon Cape Verde and now I’m eager to vacation there. I assure you, I am not receiving any compensation from the Cape Verde Tourist Board for this. For balance, I hear that Argentina is wonderful as well.
The match’s winner will compete against either Australia or Egypt, who are currently engaged in extra time during their last 32 match. You can catch all the developments in our liveblog here:
While the eastern U.S. has been enveloped in a sweltering heatwave, conditions in Miami Gardens are relatively mild (by local standards). At kickoff, the temperature will reach 30C/86F, which is not ideal but familiar for many in the Cape Verde squad, particularly Pico Lopes, who is accustomed to the intense heat of the Dublin suburbs while playing for Shamrock Rovers. This might not be the case for Lionel Messi, who has spent his recent Julys in, let’s see… Miami!
Hard Rock/Miami Stadium, although lacking air conditioning, is designed to harness breezes. It was quite pleasant the one time I visited, but that was back in February.
Welcome to a fairytale moment as Cape Verde, the smallest nation still in the World Cup, takes on the reigning champions, Argentina, led by the greatest player of modern times. According to Opta’s Very Big And Clever Super Computer, Cape Verde has a 10% chance of winning tonight, which seems somewhat optimistic?
In the event of a victory, it would rival historic sports upsets such as Japan defeating South Africa at the Rugby World Cup, Leicester claiming the Premier League title, Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson, the Miracle on Ice, and Cameroon’s victory over Argentina in the 1990 World Cup, along with Saudi Arabia’s win against Argentina in 2022… Wait, I’m noticing a pattern here.
Tom will join shortly. Meanwhile, here’s a preview of this match from Graham Ruthven’s daily watch guide:
What to Watch For
Argentina has been formidable in their World Cup title defense thus far. Messi and his teammates have maintained an unblemished record during the group stage, scoring eight goals while conceding only one. Based on their current form, La Albiceleste will be difficult to stop.
Cape Verde has made history at every juncture this summer. Not only have they qualified for their first World Cup, but now they are set to play their inaugural knockout match against the defending champions. Cape Verde successfully held off both Spain and Uruguay and aims to do the same against Argentina.
Player to watch: Lionel Messi, Argentina – The GOAT has been in outstanding form, netting six goals in just three matches. Even at 39, Messi remains unparalleled in his ability to influence high-stakes matches. There truly is no one like him.
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- Argentina
- Cape Verde
