Lionel Messi versus Vozinha. It is the World Cup battle no one knew they wanted, but which fans now cannot wait to see.
When Argentina and Cape Verde walk out at the Miami Stadium on Friday (23:00 BST), arguably the greatest player the world has seen will face a 40-year-old goalkeeper who was a complete unknown three weeks ago.
“Lionel Messi vs 40-year-old unknown goalkeeper Vozinha as Argentina face World Cup debutants Cape Verde in last 32.”
It encapsulates one of the best stories of this World Cup – Cape Verde, on their World Cup debut, defying the odds to reach the knockout rounds. No one gave them a prayer against European champions Spain. Yet they drew 0-0, a result heralded as one of the greatest-ever World Cup shocks – and the African nation did not even win. Then came draws against two-time World Cup winners Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, to qualify for the last 32 in second place in their group.
Next come Argentina. It could be the biggest mismatch the World Cup has ever seen.
Argentina are one of the most storied national teams and the current world champions. Their first World Cup success came in 1978, beating the Netherlands 3-1. In 1986, a 3-2 victory over West Germany took the trophy back to South America. A third World Cup trophy was secured in Qatar four years ago, with France beaten on penalties after a 3-3 draw. They have also won the Copa America a record 16 times, including the past two tournaments, and have not been out of the top three of the Fifa world ranking since March 2022, spending two years in the number one spot before being dethroned by France last year.
Cape Verde's football federation was only formed in 1982 and accepted as a Fifa member in 1986 – just as Argentina were winning the World Cup for a second time. The Blue Sharks first entered World Cup qualifying in 2002 but did not have a realistic chance until 2022. Four years ago they only just lost out to Nigeria, drawing the final group game 1-1 in Lagos when a win would have sent them to Qatar. For the 2026 finals, despite being drawn in a group with eight-time qualifiers Cameroon, Cape Verde finished top with one defeat in 10 matches. They only played at their first Africa Cup of Nations 13 years ago, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Ghana.
Messi, meanwhile, is out to further boost his Golden Boot chances against the surprise package. The stage is set for a storybook encounter – one that could either crown the Goliath or immortalise the David.