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On their debut, Cape Verde went unbeaten in the group stage and became the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup knockout round before falling to Argentina in a run that redefined what expansion could mean.
France remain the team to beat at the 2026 World Cup according to ESPN's post-Round-of-32 panel, with Argentina, Spain and Brazil close behind as the bracket narrows.
Cape Verde reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time and now face Lionel Messi's Argentina in a Round of 32 David vs Goliath showdown.
Lionel Messi scored six times in Group J, including a hat-trick against Algeria, to reach 19 career World Cup goals and lift defending champions Argentina to second in the post-group-stage power rankings.