Argentina and Cape Verde Draw 0-0 in World Cup Round of 16 Clash in Miami
Argentina faced Cape Verde in their Round of 16 match at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, ending the first half with a 0-0 score. Despite Argentina's favored status on their path to the quarterfinals, they could not break through Cape Verde's defense. Cape Verde, the surprise team of the 2026 World Cup and the first debutant since Slovakia in 2010 to reach the knockout stage, also became the first since Chile in 1998 to advance without a win in the group stage.
Lionel Messi, returning to the starting lineup after scoring a free kick as a substitute against Jordan, aimed to score his seventh World Cup goal and surpass Kylian Mbappe in the race for the tournament's all-time top scorer. Lautaro Martinez partnered him in attack, while Christian Romero recovered from injury to play in defense. Cape Verde relied on veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, aged 40, and striker Nuno de Coshata led their offense.
The match started on time despite weather concerns, with neither team threatening the goal in the first 10 minutes. Messi had the first real chance at 14 minutes with a shot narrowly missing the post. At 18 minutes, Messi’s free kick was saved comfortably by Vozinha. The game remained tightly contested with no goals scored in the first half.
The winner of this match will face Egypt in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at 19:00 in Atlanta, after Egypt eliminated Australia in a penalty shootout.
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