Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina are preparing for a crucial knockout stage match against Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, with a place in the round of 16 at stake.

Messi continues to be one of the standout players of the tournament, having scored six goals so far, tying him with France’s Kylian Mbappé for the tournament lead.

He also holds the record as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 19 goals, although Mbappé is closing in after a brace against Sweden.

The article highlights the growing excitement around the Golden Boot race, especially as Messi has played one fewer match than his French rival, giving him a slight statistical edge heading into the next round.The match is framed as a classic David versus Goliath encounter, with Argentina heavily favoured against Cape Verde.

However, Cape Verde has already shown resilience in the tournament, notably earning a 0–0 draw against Spain and advancing from the group stage, which eliminated Uruguay.Their coach Bubista emphasized that reaching this stage is a historic achievement and that the team intends to compete with pride and discipline.Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni acknowledged Cape Verde’s quality and stressed the importance of respecting their opponents.

Elsewhere in the knockout round, Australia will face Egypt, with attention on striker Mohamed Salah, who is recovering from a hamstring issue but may still feature.

Colombia will meet Ghana after a strong group stage performance in which Colombia conceded only one goal, earning praise as a potential tournament contender.The article also notes that Egypt and Australia have both experienced mixed fortunes in past World Cups.A statistical highlight recalls Just Fontaine’s record 13 goals in a single World Cup, still unmatched, with Messi now in his sixth tournament.