Lionel Messi versus Vozinha. It’s the World Cup battle no-one knew they needed, however which followers now can not wait to see.
and Cape Verde stroll out on the Miami Stadium on Friday (23:00 BST).
Arguably the best participant the world has seen faces a 40-year-old goalkeeper who was a whole unknown three weeks in the past.
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It encapsulates probably the greatest tales of this World Cup – Cape Verde, on their World Cup debut, defying the percentages to succeed in the knockout rounds.
No-one gave Cape Verde a prayer in opposition to European champions . But they drew 0-0.
It was heralded as one of many best ever World Cup shocks, and the African nation didn’t even win.
Then got here attracts in opposition to two-time World Cup winners and , to qualify for the final 32 in second place within the group.
Subsequent come Argentina. It may very well be the most important mismatch the World Cup has ever seen.
Three-time World Cup winners v debutants
Qatar 2022 was Argentina’s third World Cup success, following on from 1978 and 1986 [Getty Images]
One of the-storied nationwide groups – and the present world champions – face opponents who solely first certified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013.
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Cape Verde was a colony of when Argentina took half within the first World Cup in 1930, ending runners-up to Uruguay.
La Albiceleste, as Argentina are nicknamed, have solely did not qualify for one World Cup, in in 1970, although they withdrew from three tournaments both facet of World Struggle Two, in 1938, 1950 and 1954.
Argentina’s first World Cup success got here in 1978, beating the Netherlands 3-1 within the last. In 1986, a 3-2 victory over West Germany took the trophy again to South America.
A 3rd World Cup trophy was secured in 4 years in the past, with overwhelmed on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
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Argentina have loved in depth continental success, too, successful the Copa America a file 16 occasions – together with the previous two tournaments.
They haven’t been out of the highest three of the Fifa world rating since March 2022, and spent two years within the primary spot earlier than being dethroned by France final 12 months.
The Cape Verdean Soccer Federation was solely fashioned in 1982, and accepted as a Fifa member in 1986 – simply as Argentina have been successful the World Cup for a second time.
The Blue Sharks first entered World Cup qualifying in 2002 however didn’t have a sensible probability of qualifying till 2022.
4 years in the past they solely simply misplaced out to , drawing the ultimate group sport 1-1 in Lagos when a win would have despatched them to Qatar.
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For the 2026 finals, regardless of being drawn in a gaggle with eight-time qualifiers Cameroon, Cape Verde completed prime with one defeat in 10 matches.
Such has been their current improvement they solely performed at their first Africa Cup of Nations 13 years in the past, reaching the quarter-finals earlier than shedding to .
They’ve now performed on the Afcon 4 occasions, reaching the final eight once more in 2023.
However they failed to succeed in the 2025 Afcon, regardless of qualifying for the World Cup.
Cape Verde reached the Fifa prime 100 in 2006, and climbed to thirty sixth on the again of the primary Afcon outing. In 2014, after qualifying for the 2015 match, they achieved their highest-ever rating of twenty seventh.
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For the final 9 years, Cape Verde have hovered across the 60-80 bracket, and can go into Friday’s sport ranked sixty fourth.
5 Argentina gamers are every valued at greater than Cape Verde’s total first XI
Cape Verde’s transformation started in 2010 when then-coach Joao de Deus appeared to their huge diaspora and known as up eight uncapped gamers.
Many worldwide groups within the trendy sport depend on their diaspora: residents who have been born and reside elsewhere throughout the globe however are eligible to play worldwide soccer for the nation.
Twelve of Cape Verde’s squad have been born within the nation, with their first-ever World Cup finals objective – of their 2-2 draw in opposition to Uruguay – scored by , from the capital metropolis of Praia.
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However they do lean closely on their diaspora, together with 5 gamers born within the Netherlands, and three every in France and Portugal.
No participant relies within the nation’s semi-professional home league.
Twenty-three are in Europe, however solely defender plies his commerce in any of the continent’s prime 5 leagues.
Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper , is after his contract with Portuguese second division facet Chaves expired on Tuesday.
Vozinha is one in every of seven who’ve been taking part in in Portugal, although full-back – who was at Benfica however is becoming a member of Trabzonspor – is the one one at a serious membership.
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In line with the web site Transfermarkt, the entire squad has a price of simply 54.5m euros (£46.8m).
Solely 9 of the 48 groups on the match are valued decrease, with Qatar ranked final on 19.9m euros (£17.1m).
Argentina, in the meantime, have a squad stacked with family names, with their squad worth of 807.5m euros (£693.7m) ranked seventh on the World Cup. France prime the desk on 1.52bn euros (£1.31bn).
Two of Argentina’s squad play within the home league, for River Plate and Boca Juniors, with one at Brazilian membership Palmeiras.
Midfielder and ahead Lionel Messi are at Main League Soccer facet , with the 21 others in Europe’s prime 5 home leagues.
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Simply two gamers weren’t born in Argentina – forwards (Rome, Italy) and (Tenerife, Spain).
Taking simply the primary XIs, Argentina have a mixed worth of £360.3m, with essentially the most priceless being ‘s at £77.4m.
The entire Cape Verde workforce is available in at £19.77m.
Their most useful participant is Trabzonspor’s (£9.5m), however his solely look on the World Cup got here when Cabral was suspended in opposition to Saudi Arabia.
Cabral himself (£3.4m) and Krasnodar’s Kevin Pina (£4.3m) account for a big chunk of the remainder of that worth.
Argentina’s workforce is price greater than 18 occasions that workforce whole, with 5 gamers valued larger than the entire Cape Verde workforce.
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Then there’s the silverware, too.
Sixteen members of the Argentina squad are already World Cup winners, and between them they’ve received many league titles and cups – each European and home.
For Cape Verde, success has been restricted to successful championships in lower-level nations, resembling Cyprus, Hungary and the United Arab Emirates, and in addition in Main League Soccer in the US.
The very best-profile title got here for , who received the Portuguese league with Sporting CP in 2020-21. Kevin Pina lifted the Russian Premier League trophy with Krasnodar in 2024-25.
From Portuguese colony to independence in 1975
Cape Verde is an archipelagic nation within the central Atlantic Ocean made up of 10 islands, of which 9 are inhabited.
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It may be discovered 450km off the west coast of the Africa, closest to .
The islands are a part of the Macaronesian group together with the Canary Islands and Madeira.
Cape Verde was uninhabited till the fifteenth century earlier than Portuguese settlers arrived. For a very long time it was
It continued as a Portuguese colony and abroad territory till it gained independence in 1975.
The islands cowl 4,033 sq km, with the United Nations reporting a complete inhabitants of about 530,000 – smaller than each one of many 50 US states.
This makes Cape Verde the third-smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup, behind and Iceland.
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However it’s the smallest to make it to the knockout rounds, taking the file that Northern Eire (1.4m) had held since 1958.
Argentina is a lot larger it appears barely comparable.
The United Nations put the inhabitants at 46 million, with the nation masking an space of two.8m sq km.
It’s the eighth-largest nation on this planet, and the second-largest in South America behind .
Argentina’s gross home product – the market worth of all items and companies – is $683bn, in comparison with $3bn for Cape Verde.