Messi returns to Miami to lead Argentina in Round-of-32 match against Cape Verde
Lionel Messi disembarked from a private jet with his family at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport on July 11, 2023, following a Caribbean vacation. He wore pink shorts and a smile. It was time to get back to work.
The airport is directly across the street from the Inter Miami training facility, where the next chapter of the Argentine icon’s storied career was about to begin.
He left European soccer following Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win in Qatar to sign with the MLS club, and there were skeptics aplenty who predicted the move would diminish his skills and hasten retirement plans.
Three years later, at age 39, he continues to dominate for club and country. Messi is rewriting history as Argentina prepares to face Cape Verde, a World Cup surprise, in a Round-of-32 game Friday in Miami, the place Messi now calls home.
He is in peak form and carrying Argentina’s hopes of repeating as champion on his shoulders after scoring six of the team’s eight goals during the group stage. Argentina is attempting to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.
Messi kicked off the tournament with a hat trick in Argentina’s opener against Algeria, followed that with a brace against Austria and then came off the bench to score his sixth goal against Jordan with a sublime 89th-minute free kick.
With those goals he became the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 19 goals.
He also broke a 56-year-old record for scoring streak in the tournament with goals in seven consecutive matches. Only Just Fontaine of France in 1958, and Brazil’s Jairzinho in 1970 had ever scored in six straight.
Messi is tied with France’s Kylian Mbappe in the 2026 Golden Boot race, followed by Norway’s Erling Haaland and England’s Harry Kane with five goals each.
Despite his age, Messi is still blessed with breathtaking skill, and is also fiercely competitive, even at training. He never accepts mediocrity, never coasts, even though he has already won eight Ballon d’Or trophies, a World Cup trophy, countless other prestigious championships, and makes an estimated $135 million a year between salary and endorsements.
Messi’s Inter Miami and Argentina teammate, and close friend, Rodrigo De Paul, is cherishing every moment Messi plays.
“We have to enjoy Leo Messi every single day just as every Argentinean citizen does,” De Paul said on Thursday at the pregame news conference at Hard Rock Stadium. “We always value things we don’t have anymore, that’s part of life. So, for now, we are enjoying having him around. It means a lot to be a good friend of Leo Messi. I consider myself a very lucky man, sharing moments with him on and off the pitch.”
Messi’s arrival to Inter Miami completely transformed it from a last-place MLS club to a league champion and global brand. His pink No. 10 shirt is the top-selling Adidas jersey. He also has made a massive impact on MLS, breaking attendance records all over the league, and, with the help of Apple and social media, boosting exposure all over the world.
All eyes will be on him again Friday, as Argentina aims to knock off the tournament darling Cape Verde and advance to the Round of 16.
Despite entering the match as overwhelming favorites, Argentina is approaching the match cautiously. Coach Lionel Scaloni and De Paul warned against underestimating the West African island nation, which finished runner-up in Group H after a 0-0 draw against Spain, 2-2 draw against Uruguay at Hard Rock Stadium, and 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia.
Cape Verde is the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup knockouts.
“We are excited as everybody else, but facing an opponent we must respect,” Scaloni said Thursday. “They have played very well. Margins of error are very small. If you lose, you’re out. We are coming in at a good place, but it won’t be easy.
“Cape Verde is a team that hasn’t lost. They deserved to win against Saudi Arabia. They defended well. They close down inside channels and counter-attack. They have skilled players. We have watched them and we are not surprised. They are a good team. They’re not here by chance.”
De Paul echoed his coach’s message.
“When the draw was announced, we thought we might have to face two World Cup winners, with major players playing in big leagues, but after so many years of experience, I know anything can happen,” De Paul said. “We are facing a team that played very well in the group stage. We need to be very responsible and rely on our experience. We have played knockout matches before, but every game is different.”
The winner of Friday’s match advances to the Round of 16 to face the winner of Australia against Egypt. After that, Switzerland, Algeria, Colombia or Ghana could await in the quarterfinals. Brazil, Mexico, England, and the United States are on the other side of the draw.
On paper, it seems like a manageable path for Messi and his teammates to reach the final on July 19. But Cape Verde will try to change the storyline.
“This tournament has shown that the smaller teams can compete with the so-called superior teams,” Cape Verde coach Bubista said. “We compete in our own way, staying true to our identity. Trying to honor what our country and people represent.
“We as a team have our own strategy, not just against Messi, but against the whole Argentina team. They are the current world champion, one of the best in the whole tournament, and we will play against the whole team. We know Messi is one of the best players in the world, but we will play with courage and we have to believe we can compete.”
Cape Verde has emerged as one of the feel-good stories of this World Cup after endearing fans with 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, but the team is also dealing with reports that captain Ryan Mendes is under investigation by police in New Zealand over allegations he raped a Brazilian woman working as a team translator in March after a FIFA Series game against Chile in New Zealand.
The woman accused Mendes, Cape Verde’s all-time leading scorer, of forcing his way into her hotel room in Auckland and then raping her. Mendes, 36, has not been charged with a crime yet.
Thursday’s press conference began with a request from the team press officer that questions only pertain to the Argentina match. Several reporters tried to ask about the rape allegations, but their questions were not addressed.