Argentina vs Cape Verde Predicted Lineups World Cup 2026 – The 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 will see defending champions Argentina take on tournament debutants Cape Verde.

This match is expected to be one of the most exciting fixtures, with Argentina entering as the favorites, while Cape Verde have emerged as one of the tournament's surprise teams thanks to their extremely solid defense throughout the group stage.

The match is scheduled to take place at Miami Stadium on Thursday, July 3, 2026, at 06:00 p.m. local time.

La Albiceleste became one of only three teams to win all of their group-stage matches, while the Blue Sharks impressed with a rock-solid defense that produced two clean sheets in three matches.

Before the match begins, let's take a look at Mansion Sports' predicted lineups for Argentina vs Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup below!

Team News Ahead of the Match

Argentina

It is especially impressive considering that Argentina's last defeat in a knockout match in any tournament came seven years ago in Belo Horizonte, when they lost to their eternal rivals Brazil in the 2019 Copa America semifinals.

Since that 2-0 defeat, Lionel Scaloni has guided La Selección to two Copa America titles in 2021 and 2023, while also winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The world champions have also shown no signs of slowing down in North America.

As one of the pre-tournament favorites, Argentina won every group-stage match, an achievement also accomplished by hosts Mexico and star-studded France.

Even 39-year-old Lionel Messi continues to perform at an extraordinary level. The Inter Miami forward has scored six goals, although he is currently tied with Kylian Mbappe, who has played one more match.

Seven years after their defeat to Brazil in the 2019 Copa America semifinals, Messi and his teammates are now chasing their 10th consecutive victory across the Copa America and FIFA World Cup.

Cape Verde

Cape Verde have the opportunity to end Argentina's current 10-match winning streak, including their unbeaten knockout record. However, Bubista's side have no reason to feel intimidated.

As one of the four debutants at the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals alongside Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan, only the Blue Sharks have managed to reach the knockout stage.

They have made history by showcasing a variety of playing styles. Cape Verde successfully frustrated Spain in their opening World Cup match thanks to an outstanding performance by Vozinha, then fought back to earn a 2-2 draw against Uruguay after leading 1-0 and then trailing 2-1, before recording another goalless draw against Saudi Arabia.

Despite being the lowest-scoring team among the 32 knockout-stage participants, the Blue Sharks' defensive resilience provides valuable confidence against any opponent in the knockout rounds.

They must remain compact when out of possession and limit the world champions' space just as they did against Spain in their tournament debut. Bubista is ready to embrace that major challenge in pursuit of a historic victory over Argentina.

Argentina vs Cape Verde Predicted Lineups World Cup 2026

Argentina (4-4-2)

Regarding Argentina's squad, after starting the match against Jordan on the bench, Lionel Messi and Alexis Mac Allister are expected to return to the starting lineup. Rodrigo De Paul, who was rested previously, is also likely to return to the starting eleven.

Messi has scored six of Argentina's eight goals in North America, meaning he has contributed 75 percent of the defending champions' total goals during their title defense.

Nevertheless, other players must also contribute if Lionel Scaloni's side are to achieve success once again.

Lautaro Martinez, who has scored 38 international goals, Julian Alvarez with 14 goals, and Enzo Fernandez are all expected to deliver strong performances during the decisive stages of the tournament.

Although Cristian Romero appeared to suffer a knee injury during the victory over Austria, the latest reports indicate that he is fine and is expected to return to the heart of the defense in place of Nicolas Otamendi.

Cape Verde (4-1-4-1)

Meanwhile, regarding Cape Verde's squad, the Blue Sharks received disappointing news ahead of their final group-stage match after Telmo Arcanjo, Jamiro Monteiro, and Kevin Lenini suffered injuries.

However, only Arcanjo's muscle injury forced the midfielder to miss out, while the other two players remained available for selection.

Although Dailon Rocha Livramento scored four of Cape Verde's 16 goals during the qualification campaign, the forward has yet to find the net at the FIFA World Cup finals.

Even so, Livramento's six international goals still place him behind Ryan Mendes, who has scored 22 goals, and three goals behind Garry Rodrigues, who has accumulated 10 goals.

This match is expected to be a major test for Cape Verde, who are appearing in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time.

On the other hand, Argentina will certainly aim to continue their winning streak as they pursue a successful defense of their world title.

We hope this information regarding the Argentina vs Cape Verde Predicted Lineups World Cup 2026 helps you stay updated on the latest condition of both teams before the match begins.