Cape Verde book Argentina showdown in round of 32 as World Cup fairytale continues

Unbridled joy and emotional celebrations erupted at NRG Stadium as debutants Cape Verde punched their ticket to FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32.

Having drawn all three group matches, the archipelago nation of just over 500,000 will play Lionel Messi's Argentina in Miami on July 3 in another chapter to their remarkable story.

Their joy has now been supercharged by what seemed unthinkable before the tournament: a spot in the knockouts.

Cabo Verde completed an improbable run through the group stage with a third straight World Cup draw to become the smallest country to earn a spot in the knockout round following a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia in Houston on Friday night.