Argentina face Cape Verde Friday as Germany exit clears the path

Cape Verde on Friday, path opens up

Your team faces Cape Verde in the World Cup round of 32 on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (1) (4). Germany are out, knocked down by Paraguay on penalties. A supercomputer now puts Argentina as the top favorite for the title. Win this, and Australia or Egypt await in the next round. The road is right there.

Cabral: I'll swap with Otamendi, not Messi

Cape Verde full-back Sidny Cabral made everyone smile. Asked about facing Messi, he said he will swap shirts with Nicolás Otamendi instead. "He was my teammate until this season," Cabral explained (5). He did call Messi "the best of all time" but added Cape Verde will not focus on one man: "Argentina has many great players" (5).

Cape Verde's secret: they are a family

Cabral offered a glimpse into the Cape Verde camp. "There is no secret. We are a family. We do everything together and the connection is very strong," he said (5). The African island nation are in their first World Cup, and unity is what brought them here.

Fan reactions

Reddit is split between admiration for Cape Verde's underdog story and realism about what Friday might look like. One fan put it bluntly: the game "will be ugly" for the debutants, even as many cheer their journey to the knockout stage for the first time link. Another, a US baseball fan new to the World Cup, is already hooked on the crowd culture link.