MIAMI GARDENS, Florida — When the World Cup’s round of 32 kicks off at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night, global soccer will witness one of the most dramatic underdog storylines in modern tournament history. On one side stands Argentina, the three-time World Cup title holder, led by widely regarded greatest-of-all-time Lionel Messi, boasting a century of decorated soccer history and a roster stacked with elite international talent. On the other steps Cape Verde, an undersized African island nation making an unprecedented run that no pundits predicted.
For the Cape Verde side, there is zero pressure to deliver a result — no fanbase or pundit expects the tiny underdog to topple the defending champions. That freedom, however, has not dulled the squad’s belief that they can pull off one of the most stunning upsets the sport has ever seen. “I believe we can do a great thing here,” Cape Verde backup defender Stopira, full name Ianique dos Santos Tavares, told reporters Thursday through a translator. “And this is no exception. This match is no exception.”
A Cape Verde victory would echo the magnitude of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice”, where a young amateur U.S. men’s hockey team upset the unbeatable Soviet Union at the Lake Placid Olympics en route to gold. In soccer terms, this underdog triumph would be remembered forever as the “Miracle on Grass”.
When the tournament bracket was first finalized, Argentina’s squad fully expected to face either Spain or Uruguay, the two other decorated former champions in Group H, in this round of 32 matchup. As the Group J winner, Argentina was set to take on the Group H runner-up, and almost no one penciled Cape Verde into that spot. But the chaotic group stage defied all expectations: two-time champion Uruguay crashed out early, 2010 winner Spain advanced but finished second, and Cape Verde held on to claim the unlikely runner-up spot, setting up a showdown with Messi and his world-beating side.
This underdog run did not come out of nowhere. Cape Verde turned heads early in group play by holding Spain to a surprising scoreless draw, cementing their defensive reputation ahead of the knockout stage. Their 40-year-old starting goalkeeper even captured global public attention when a story spread of community support that allowed his mother to travel to the U.S. to watch his group stage performances. Now, the tiny nation stands in the biggest match in its soccer history.
“The most important match in our history,” Cape Verde head coach Bubista said of Friday’s clash. “So, we are being responsible and also trying to enjoy the match. We did not reach this stage by chance. It was on our own merits and we want to show the world our qualities, our values and that there’s a lot of quality in Cape Verdean football.”
Cape Verde enters the knockout round with an unusual resume: it is the only team to advance to the round of 32 this tournament without registering a single win, having earned three consecutive draws across group play. By contrast, Argentina dominated its group, winning all three matches with Messi turning in standout performances in every fixture. Now, both teams enter a do-or-die knockout: win, and advance; lose, and go home.
Even Argentina’s coaching staff and players are quick to emphasize that Cape Verde’s spot in the round of 32 is no fluke. “We are not surprised, to be honest,” Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni told reporters. “They are a good team. And they are not here by chance. We must respect them. And that’s what we will do.”
Argentina midfielder Rodrigo de Paul echoed that respect, noting that the bracket always favored a more established nation to reach this matchup. “The truth is that when the draw was decided, the group that we would have to face … there were two world champions there,” he said.
Cape Verde has already laid out its game plan for the biggest match in the nation’s history. The side will lean into its tested defensive structure, which only allowed two goals across three group matches and kept Spain off the scoresheet entirely. The underdogs plan to push aggressively on set pieces, fight for as much possession control as possible, and execute a unified game plan that targets the entire Argentine side, not just Messi. While no global side has cracked the code of stopping the Argentine star, Bubista says his squad is prepared for the full challenge Argentina presents.
“We have our own strategy, not only against Messi, but the whole team,” Bubista said. “We know they are the current world champions, one of the best teams in the tournament. And we will play against the whole team, not just Messi.”