Cape Verde have impressed everyone at this World Cup so far, and their ability to sit deep and frustrate opponents has yielded success up until this point.

They drew 0-0 with European champions Spain in their opening match, before also taking a point from Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. That earned Cape Verde second position in the group to qualify for the knockouts. 

However, this matchup against Argentina promises to be their biggest test yet, and there is a massive gulf in quality between the two sides on paper. The reigning world champions have won all three group games convincingly, and they have had an eleven-day rest since beating Jordan.

Cape Verde’s run has been admirable, but keeping Argentina at bay looks like too much of a challenge.

Cape Verde have played out two goalless stalemates so far, and the other match finished 2-2 against Uruguay.

Their game plan will be to sit deep, but Argentina have way too much firepower, and it seems unlikely that any side will be able to keep them out. Argentina have already scored eight goals in their three matches. 

If Lionel Scaloni’s side find the back of the net early on, Cape Verde will have to be a bit more front-footed in their approach, which could open up space for Argentina.

The South American side simply have too much talent in the final third here, which makes goals a target.

Lionel Messi has been quite simply extraordinary at this World Cup - he scored a hat-trick against Algeria in round one before adding a brace against Austria.

He still managed to find the back of the net against Jordan in the final group stage game, despite only featuring off the bench. As it stands, no player has scored more goals than him at the 2026 World Cup, but Kylian Mbappe is currently level, after he scored a brace against Sweden.

Messi will want to create a bit of daylight here as he aims to win the Golden Boot, so expect the 39-year-old to be heavily involved in the final third once again.

When opponents adopt a low block and sit deep, Enzo Fernandez is given a much greater license to push forward from midfield and arrive in advanced positions.

He had an impressive domestic season for Chelsea, bagging 15 goals in 54 appearances across all competitions, which shows how he can cause problems when arriving late in the box. He was pushed forward into an advanced midfield role at times for the Blues, which explains why he had his most prolific season to date in terms of goals scored.  

Messi has accounted for a large portion of Argentina’s shots so far, but Enzo Fernandez recorded two efforts against Austria in his last start.

Lautaro Martinez finally opened his goalscoring account at the World Cup last time out, as he scored against Jordan to end the group stages on a high. He has been chosen by Scaloni as the man to lead the line, and he should be full of confidence against Cape Verde. 

Lautaro offers more than just a threat in the box - he presses relentlessly from the front, giving opposing defenders no time on the ball, which allows Argentina to win the ball back quickly.

The Inter Milan skipper can at times be a bit aggressive in his challenges, and he has committed a foul in all three matches at the World Cup. That includes landing this selection against both Austria and Algeria.

Kevin Pina wrote himself into Cape Verde's history books by scoring their first-ever World Cup goal, and it was a memorable one.

Pina found the back of the net from a long-range free-kick against Uruguay. The Krasnodar midfielder plays in a defensive midfield position for his national side, but that doesn't stop him from getting forward to join attacks when they do counter. 

Pina has shown no hesitation in trying his luck from range whenever the space opens up in front of him. Because of that, he has registered a shot in every single World Cup match so far, including against Spain in the opening game.

Chances will be few and far between against Argentina, so they might have to rely on speculative efforts from range.

Alexis MacAllister is another player to target in the final third here, expecting Cape Verde to sit deep.

The Liverpool midfielder isn’t exactly renowned for his contributions in the final third, as he scored just five goals in 55 domestic appearances this season for the Reds.

However, he did land this selection in round one against Algeria, as one of his two efforts forced a save from the opposing goalkeeper. That also led to Messi scoring the rebound, so Mac Allister might be encouraged to let fly more often here. 

The 27-year-old scored twice in his 13 appearances for Argentina during their World Cup qualifying matches, finishing with an average of 1.12 shots per 90 in that time.

Sidny Lopes Cabral has been an interesting player for Cape Verde so far. He committed the only foul for his side in the opening game against Spain, and that was enough to earn him a booking after just 16 minutes.

The fullback again only needed one foul to find his way into the referee's notebook against Uruguay, which meant he was suspended for the final group game against Saudi Arabia. 

The Benfica man should return to the starting eleven here, and this will be his toughest matchup yet. Cabral has shown a tendency to fly recklessly into challenges so far, and he will have plenty of defensive work to get through against the World Cup title holders.

Nahuel Molina was one of several regular starters benched against Jordan, as Scaloni opted for rotation with top spot already secured.

However, the Argentina manager should revert to his usual eleven here, which means Molina to come in at left back. 

Not only is Cabral a target for cards, but he has been adept at drawing contact so far. He was fouled twice against Spain before accounting for five of Uruguay's 11 fouls.

With Cape Verde sitting deep, Molina should be able to push forward and find duels with Cabral here, which makes this foul price stand out.