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 my thorough exploration for this liveblog—while searching for “Who is this Messi guy” and similar queries—I discovered Cape Verde. Now, I’m eager to vacation there. I assure you, I’m not receiving any sponsorship from the Cape Verde Tourist Board for this. For the sake of fairness, I’ve also heard great things about Argentina.
The winner of this match will advance to face either Australia or Egypt, who are currently battling in the second period of extra time in their last 32 match. You can keep up with all the action through our liveblog here:
A dense blanket of oppressive heat has settled over the east coast of the US in recent days, but in Miami Gardens, the weather is somewhat manageable (by Miami Gardens standards). At kickoff, temperatures will reach 30C/86F, which, while not ideal, is familiar territory for many in the Cape Verde squad, particularly Pico Lopes, who has played in the sweltering conditions of the Dublin suburbs for Shamrock Rovers. This may not be the case for Lionel Messi, who has spent his recent Julys competing in…Miami!
Though Hard Rock/Miami Stadium lacks air conditioning, its design allows breezes to circulate. It was quite pleasant during my one visit, albeit that was back in February.
Hello! It’s a fairytale moment as Cape Verde, the smallest nation remaining in the World Cup, faces off against the world champions, Argentina, captained by the greatest player of this era. According to Opta’s Very Big And Clever Super Computer, the Cape Verdeans have a 10% chance of winning tonight, which seems rather optimistic.
If they manage to pull off a victory, it would be a sporting upset comparable to Japan defeating South Africa in the (Rugby) World Cup, Leicester winning the Premier League, Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson, the Miracle on Ice, or Cameroon overcoming Argentina at the 1986 World Cup, and Saudi Arabia surprising Argentina at the 2022 World Cup… Wait, there’s a pattern emerging here.
Tom will join us shortly. In the meantime, here’s a preview of this match from Graham Ruthven’s daily watch guide:
Match Analysis
Argentina has had a strong start to their World Cup title defense. Messi and his team achieved a perfect record throughout the group stage, scoring eight goals and allowing only one. Based on their performance thus far, La Albiceleste will be a challenging opponent.
Meanwhile, Cape Verde has made history at every juncture this summer. They not only qualified for their inaugural World Cup but will now compete in their first World Cup knockout match against the reigning champions. Cape Verde held off Spain and Uruguay and will aim to replicate that success against Argentina.
Key Player: Lionel Messi, Argentina – The GOAT has been in exceptional form, netting six goals in just three matches. Even at 39, Messi remains unparalleled in his ability to influence high-stakes games. There’s truly no one like him.
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- Argentina
- Cape Verde
