2026 World Cup: Cape Verde prepare special plan for Messi ahead of Argentina clash

Tournament debutants Cape Verde are refusing to be intimidated by the daunting prospect of facing reigning world champions Argentina and Lionel Messi on Friday.

Instead, the ultimate underdogs of the 2026 World Cup are banking on their collective resilience to pull off what would rank among the greatest upsets in football history.

By any standard mathematical metric, the island nation should have next to no chance of eliminating the South American heavyweights in their upcoming Round of 32 clash.

However, having already secured stunning group-stage draws against former World Cup winners Spain and Uruguay, Cape Verde's confidence is at an all-time high.

Speaking from the team's base camp in Tampa, assistant coach Humberto Bettencourt dismissed the analytical predictions that give his side virtually no chance of progressing.

He revealed that the technical bench has engineered a specific tactical setup to contain Lionel Scaloni's men, stating, "Statistics are theories. Football proves that what really counts is what happens inside the four lines. They gave us 1% before, and now 4% is irrelevant to us.

“We consider Messi to be a player who makes a difference, but we always look at the collective—the combinations that can be created, the spaces they may try to open up for Messi."

The historic campaign has completely elevated the profile of the least populous nation ever to grace the World Cup knockout phase.

Bettencourt, the sole spokesperson for the delegation this week, confirmed a mixed bag of team news ahead of Friday's monumental fixture.

Combative left-back Sidny Lopes Cabral is officially available for selection after serving a one-match suspension, though technical midfielder Telmo Arcanjo remains a 50-50 doubt after sitting out Wednesday's training session with a nagging leg injury.

They will face an entirely fresh opposition, as Scaloni is expected to restore Messi to the starting lineup after resting him on the bench against Jordan, where the little magician still managed to come on and score his sixth goal of the tournament.

While Argentina juggles an array of world-class options to breach Cape Verde's famously stubborn defence, the African side is fully prepared to play without fear and rely on their tight-knit organisation to keep their fairytale alive.