Argentina vs Cabo Verde | FIFA World Cup 2026 — Round of 32 | Preview and Prediction

In this Round of 32 match-up at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, defending champions Argentina will look to take another step towards defending their crown as they face Cabo Verde, this tournament’s Cinderella story, who will be riding the crest of a wave and look to probably cause the biggest upset in World Cup history and further cement themselves in World Cup lore and legend.

For the game, here we present our preview and prediction.

FIFA WC26 | Ro32: ARG vs CPV | 03:30 IST, 4 July 2026

Argentina have been largely untroubled and untested in their journey up until this stage. They have played like champions, and their performances show that they do not have any intention of relinquishing their crown this time around.

While it was no secret that Lionel Messi was bound to have a say in what could be his final appearance on the World Cup stage, the tournament that he is having is astounding even by his lofty and magnificent standards. He is joint top of the Golden Boot standings with six goals and has been the conduit through which the entire Argentine team have been channelling their attacks. In fact, up until the Jordan game, for which he was rested, Messi had scored all five of his side’s goals.

For another fun fact, Messi currently has more goals (6) than Cape Verde have scored in this World Cup so far (2), which goes to show how brilliant a campaign he has had so far.

Cape Verde, on the other hand, are the story of the World Cup. No one gave them a chance to win a single game, let alone qualify for the next round of the tournament, but they have beaten all odds, not only giving some of the best sides a run for their money but also coming into this game unbeaten in the tournament so far.

They have been defensively resolute, as displayed in their heroic effort to keep Spain down to long-range potshots, and have some serious pace to burn, as ruthlessly shown in their game against Uruguay, where they time and again managed to get the better of their opponents on fast breaks.

However, they will face their biggest test and arguably their toughest opponents. It looks to be far too daunting a task, but they are ready to give it their all. Argentina will definitely start this game as heavy favourites, and it looks like a comfortable victory for the defending champions will be the most likely outcome of this contest.

Score Prediction: Argentina 3–0 Cape Verde
Venue: Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, USA