Lionel Messi and defending champion Argentina are looking to claim one of the final spots in the Round of 16. world cup They will face Cape Verde on Friday night in Miami Gardens, Florida.
To no one’s surprise, Messi became one of the tournament’s biggest stars, scoring six goals, tied for the most with France’s Kylian Mbappé. Messi is currently the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 19 goals, but Mbappe is only one point behind him. France won 3-0 with 2 goals. Over Sweden.
However, Messi has played one less game in this tournament and will likely have a golden opportunity to take a step towards winning the Golden Boot when Argentina face a Cape Verde team without a star player.
The match between Argentina and Cape Verde is basically Soccer version of David vs. Goliath.
“I believe we can do great things here,” Cape Verde reserve defender Stopila said Thursday through an interpreter. “And this is no exception. This match is no exception.”
Cape Verde’s victory will definitely shock the entire football world. But the team has shown it has the power to surprise even when it’s taken for granted.
Just ask Spain. Cape Verde ended in a 0-0 draw with Spain in group play.
This allowed Cape Verde to advance to the last 32, but two-time World Cup champions Uruguay were eliminated in group play. But now comes three-time champion Argentina.
“This is the most important game in our history,” Cape Verde coach Buvista said. “So we are trying to enjoy the game responsibly. It is not a coincidence that we have reached this stage. It is due to our own achievements and we want to show the world our quality, our values and that there is a lot of quality in Cape Verdean football.”
Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni said Cape Verde’s victory was no fluke.
“To be honest, we’re not surprised,” Scaloni said. “They’re a good team and it’s no coincidence that they’re here. We have to respect them and that’s what we do.”
In Friday’s other matches, Australia will play Egypt and Colombia will take on Ghana.
The round of 16 begins on Saturday.
Highlights of July 3rd
— Australia vs. Egypt, 2pm EDT in Arlington, Texas (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Argentina vs. Cape Verde, 6 p.m. ET Miami Gardens, Fla. (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Columbia vs. Ghana, 9:30 p.m. EDT, Kansas City, Missouri (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
Egypt’s promising striker Mohamed Salah is ready for the match against Australia
Egypt are expected to play against Australia in their first knockout appearance in the team’s history, with striker Mohamed Salah suffering from a hamstring injury. Coach Hossam Hassan said through an interpreter that he did not know whether Salah would start in the Round of 32 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Salah He was sent off in the 57th minute of a 1-1 draw. Egypt secured their place in the group stage by playing against Iran. Hassan said he did limited training with the team. Salah did not speak to reporters before the match.
Egypt are only playing in their fourth World Cup and Salah’s next international goal will equal the 34-year-old former Liverpool star and the national team manager’s 69-year-old career tops.
Australia reached the finals twice but lost both times. That includes a 2-1 win over Messi and eventual champions Argentina in the Round of 16 in Qatar four years ago.
Nestry Ilankunda and Conor Metcalfe scored the Socceroos’ only goals, both in a 2-0 victory over Turkey. of Australia lost to America 2-0 Thanks to the 0-0 draw with Paraguay, both teams advanced as they played conservatively while being in good positions to advance.
Colombia are expected to maintain their momentum against Ghana in the Round of 32
There is one thing Colombia and Ghana could agree on ahead of their round of 32 match. That said, while the Black Stars will look to make a big presence on Friday night, Los Cafeteros are the clear favorites to win.
Colombia made it through the group stage, defeating Uzbekistan and Congo and holding off a scoreless draw with Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal. Overall, coach Nestor Lorenzo’s team gave up just one goal in three games and looked oozing with the confidence it has built over the past week during its final practice in Kansas City, Missouri.
Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente also called Colombia a “candidate to win the World Cup.”
“I know it’s a complement to coach de la Fuente and I appreciate him saying that,” Lorenzo said. “But I don’t want to be seen as a favorite. Every time I’ve had to take over the reins, the team has done that. That shows the growth on behalf of Colombia.”
Expectations are high that Colombia will advance and face the winner of Switzerland vs. Algeria on July 7, but Ghana’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup were quite low. The Black Stars failed to qualify for last year’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in more than 20 years.
Still, a win over Panama and a draw with England was enough for Ghana to advance to the finals. Now, in a tournament full of surprises, the Black Stars are looking to create another surprise and advance to the round of 16 for the first time since 2010.
“It’s very important,” Ghana center back Derrick Lucassen said. “We did it. That’s the most important thing. We hope we can go further. That’s what we want. We’ll do everything we can to get through.”
More World Cup news
— Mikel Oyarzabal’s two goals led dominant Spain to defeat Austria 3-0 and advance to the Round of 16 at the World Cup.
— Congo coach Sébastien Desabres shocked after World Cup match with news of his father’s death
— Tuchel says it will be impossible for England to acclimate to the altitude ahead of the World Cup match against Mexico
— Soft-spoken Malik Tillman makes loud statement with bloody sock goal at World Cup
— Red cards mean trouble and controversy at the World Cup: Here’s what you need to know
— One great photo: Fans take to the skies to celebrate US victory
— Jaw brace headgear keeps injured players on the field at World Cup: What you need to know
— World Cup in photos, day 21
statistics of the day
Messi has had many successes score in the world cupHowever, he had a long way to go to break the all-time record of 13 goals in a single tournament, set by French forward Juste Fontaine at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. Fontaine is one of only three players to reach double-digit goals during a single tournament. The others are Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis (11 goals in 1954) and West Germany’s Gerd Müller (10 goals in 1970). By the way, Fontaine only appeared in one World Cup. Messi is playing in his sixth game.
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AP Sports Writers Tim Reynolds, David Skretta and Skylar Dixon contributed to this report.
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
