Messi plays at home as Argentina begin knockout run

Argentina face Cape Verde in Miami tonight

The World Cup knockout stage starts now. Argentina meet Cape Verde in the round of 32 on Friday at 7 PM in Miami (1) (2). The winner gets Australia or Egypt in the last 16 (6). Germany are already out, knocked out by Paraguay on penalties, and every supercomputer now has your team as the outright favorite. The path is there.

Messi plays at home, literally

Lionel Messi walks into the Hard Rock Stadium and knows every blade of grass. This is his club city with Inter Miami, and Argentina's round of 32 match lands right in his backyard (2). Suárez, Jordi Alba, and Busquets, his Inter Miami teammates, are probably watching. Thiago Almada knows the ground too. No travel fatigue, no unfamiliar surroundings.

Bubista: "An honor to face Argentina"

Cape Verde's coach Bubista is not hiding from the moment. "It's an honor to face Argentina," he said ahead of the match. "Argentina have the best players in the world, plus Messi who, for many, is the best of all time" (3). He promised his team will play with identity, attitude, and responsibility. Cape Verde are debutants at this stage, and their captain Ryan Mendes is dealing with an off-field legal complaint, but Bubista has them believing.