Cape Verde face Messi and Argentina in the biggest match in their history

Friday is the biggest day in Cape Verde football history

Your team faces Argentina in the World Cup round of 32 on Friday (1) (2) (3) (5). Lionel Messi and the reigning champions stand between Cape Verde and a place in the last 16. The match kicks off in Miami, effectively a home crowd for Messi after his move to Inter Miami (4).

Bubista: "It is a pride to face Argentina"

Head coach Bubista did not hide from the size of the occasion. "It is a pride to face Argentina. We will do things with our identity, with attitude and responsibility," he said (2). He called Argentina's squad the best in the world, and described Messi as, for many, the greatest of all time. "Facing Argentina, Messi's Argentina, at this stage, is excellent for our country" (2).

You have already stood toe-to-toe with a world champion

Nobody needs reminding what happened in the group stage. Uruguay 2–2 Cape Verde, a result that told the world your team does not shrink against giants (2). That resilience against a former world champion is the blueprint for Friday.

A spiritualist from Ghana says you will do it

The narratives are piling up. A Ghanaian spiritualist has publicly predicted Cape Verde will eliminate Argentina (3). Superstition or not, the story is catching fire ahead of kickoff.

The squad is a collection of remarkable paths

A former postman. A player scouted via LinkedIn. Cape Verde's dressing room is filled with stories that make this run feel like something out of a film (3). An assistant coach has said the team will stick to its distinct identity, regardless of the opponent (2).