Lionel Messi and Argentina’s opponents for 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 confirmed

× Lionel Messi and the reigning FIFA World Cup champions, Argentina, are set to meet tournament debutants Cape Verde in the Round of 32. Spain finished top of Group H while the Blue Sharks qualified in second place to face La Albiceleste. Ad The fixture is to be staged in Miami, as Lionel Scaloni’s side continue their quest for a second successive crown.

Argentina got here with their talisman rewriting history along the way. Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in men's FIFA World Cup history, scoring twice in a 2-0 victory over Austria to send the champions into the last 32. That brace came after his hat-trick on opening day against Algeria, and his goals put him two ahead of Miroslav Klose in the all-time goalscoring records.

Ad Trending Messi became the third player, after Just Fontaine and Jairzinho, to score at six consecutive FIFA World Cup games when he put Argentina ahead against Austria. Argentina topped Group J with a plus-five goal difference before their last game versus Jordan. Cape Verde, on the other hand, have written one of the great underdog stories of the competition.

The tournament debutants are the third-smallest nation by population ever to reach the FIFA World Cup, but defied the odds to clinch second spot in Group H behind European champions Spain. Ad Importantly, Cape Verde failed to win a game in the group stage, with famous draws against Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia securing three points. Now, a mouth-watering clash with the holders awaits in the FIFA World Cup knockouts.

Spain's FIFA World Cup star speaks about Lionel Messi The Argentine captain continues to attract rave reviews from players, with Spain midfielder Pedri the latest to join the chorus. In an interview with DSports, the Barcelona star, who won the Copa del Rey alongside Messi at Camp Nou, opened up about their relationship. Ad Pedri spoke about why he has admired the iconic playmaker for so long.

The Spaniard then went into detail regarding what makes the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner different from his rivals on the pitch (via GOAL): "I think that many times you see the game on TV and if you just start looking at him, he is looking where the free gap is or where he is going to be able to receive alone, because of quality he is overflowing, he has more than all the others. Ad "He sees football a little before the others and knows where to be to score a goal. I think that what he does with the age he has, only he can do."

Lionel Messi has already led Argentina to four trophies in the last half-decade. The FIFA World Cup in Qatar might be the most notable, but the 2022 Finalissima and the Copa America trophies in 2021 and 2024 are also notable. × Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Nnanna Mba Lionel Messi and the reigning FIFA World Cup champions, Argentina, are set to meet tournament debutants Cape Verde in the Round of 32. Spain finished top of Group H while the Blue Sharks qualified in second place to face La Albiceleste. Ad The fixture is to be staged in Miami, as Lionel Scaloni’s side continue their quest for a second successive crown.

Argentina got here with their talisman rewriting history along the way. Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in men's FIFA World Cup history, scoring twice in a 2-0 victory over Austria to send the champions into the last 32. That brace came after his hat-trick on opening day against Algeria, and his goals put him two ahead of Miroslav Klose in the all-time goalscoring records.

Ad Trending Messi became the third player, after Just Fontaine and Jairzinho, to score at six consecutive FIFA World Cup games when he put Argentina ahead against Austria. Argentina topped Group J with a plus-five goal difference before their last game versus Jordan. Cape Verde, on the other hand, have written one of the great underdog stories of the competition.

The tournament debutants are the third-smallest nation by population ever to reach the FIFA World Cup, but defied the odds to clinch second spot in Group H behind European champions Spain. Ad Importantly, Cape Verde failed to win a game in the group stage, with famous draws against Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia securing three points. Now, a mouth-watering clash with the holders awaits in the FIFA World Cup knockouts.

Spain's FIFA World Cup star speaks about Lionel Messi The Argentine captain continues to attract rave reviews from players, with Spain midfielder Pedri the latest to join the chorus. In an interview with DSports, the Barcelona star, who won the Copa del Rey alongside Messi at Camp Nou, opened up about their relationship. Ad Pedri spoke about why he has admired the iconic playmaker for so long.

The Spaniard then went into detail regarding what makes the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner different from his rivals on the pitch (via GOAL): "I think that many times you see the game on TV and if you just start looking at him, he is looking where the free gap is o