Cape Verde, a 10-island Atlantic archipelago of barely half a million people, has become the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup knockout stage, and its reward is a last-32 meeting with Lionel Messi’s Argentina on Friday in Miami. The Blue Sharks finished as Group H runners-up after a campaign built on stubborn defence: a goalless draw with Spain, a 2-2 draw with two-time champions Uruguay, and another 0-0 against Saudi Arabia. Their progression, secured when Spain beat Uruguay in the final group match, extends a debut tournament that has already rewritten the country’s football history.

The defensive template was set in the opening match against Spain, where Cape Verde sat deep, kept compact lines, and invited the European champions to solve a puzzle they never cracked. Spain enjoyed 74 percent possession and fired 27 shots, but only seven were on target, and 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha produced a heroic performance to preserve the clean sheet. That resilience carried through the group stage, frustrating opponents who struggled to convert control into goals, and it now confronts an Argentina side that has looked formidable but not infallible.

In Praia, President José Maria Neves told the BBC he expects a 1-0 victory, declaring the team has “100% faith, 100% hope, and it would completely sweat out its jersey.” Defender Diney Borges, speaking to the Argentine sports daily Olé, framed the tie as a test of belief: “We go into this match with a 1% chance, but 99% faith. In football, there are no impossibilities.” Borges, who plays his club football in the United Arab Emirates, called facing Messi “an honour and a privilege” but insisted that once the whistle blows, the focus will be solely on the collective task. A former Cape Verde coach, the Portuguese ex-international José Rui Águas, described the squad as “warriors who never surrender” and a “very solidary, very united” group that thrives on its collective organisation rather than individual brilliance.

From West Africa, a self-proclaimed Ghanaian seer, Nana Kwaku Bonsam, added a layer of mysticism by predicting Cape Verde would eliminate Argentina and that Portugal would go on to win the tournament. His forecast gained attention after he correctly claimed to have jinxed England’s Harry Kane during the group stage. Meanwhile, in Argentina, media coverage has noted the underdog’s confidence while underscoring the gulf in pedigree: the Albiceleste are defending champions, and Messi remains the player Borges calls “one of the best in history.”

The winner of Friday’s match at Hard Rock Stadium advances to the round of 16. Cape Verde’s president has already framed the occasion as a success regardless of outcome, saying the team will leave “with our heads high and with a sense of mission accomplished.” Kick-off is set for 22:00 GMT.