FIFA should just give Messi the golden boot now and save everyone else the bother…
At 1000/1 outright, Cape Verde are five times likelier to lift the 2026 FIFA World Cup than Leicester were of winning the Premier League a decade ago. How far will those odds shorten if they can somehow survive this impending Argentine onslaught and progress even further?
Ahead of a key night at Hard Rock Stadium, X’s top tipster Andy Robson has delivered a three-legged Argentina v Cape Verde Bet Builder. All of his picks are also covered by Paddy’s Super Sub offer, meaning if a player is withdrawn, any eligible bet carries over to his replacement.
Argentina v Cape Verde Bet Builder tips
Lionel Messi 2+ Goals
Facundo Medina Shown a Card
Enzo Fernandez 1+ Shots on Target
A Bet Builder with these selections pays approximately 40/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK OR TAP HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Andy’s Bet Club is packed with predictions and data-backed Football Tips. You can also get ready for the rest of the tournament with World Cup 2026 Predictions.
WHEN: Friday, July 3rd, 11pm
WHERE: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida.
TV: ITV1/ITVX/RTE2
Lionel Messi 2+ Goals
Messi has been on a different level at the World Cup so far, netting 2+ goals in both of his starts against Algeria and Austria, scoring a hat trick against the former as Argentina coasted through the knockout stages.
This Argentina side is built to serve Messi. The rest of the XI are pretty much wired to do all the heavy lifting when out of possession to ensure that Messi is as free as possible to impact the game in the final third. No other player at the World Cup gets this luxury, which shows just how good Messi is.
He’s got a really consistent record at the international level with 123 goals across 202 caps and currently leads the way as World Cup top scorer with six goals to his name, having also come off the bench to score a free kick against Jordan in Argentina’s final group game.
Facundo Medina Shown a Card
There are some really generous prices here on Argentine cards. The market doesn’t expect them to pick up too many, but it’s worth noting that Cape Verde forced a card from their opponents in all three of their group matches, drawing 2+ cards on two occasions, including against Uruguay.
Cape Verde will offer a threat at times in transition, and all it takes is a clumsy foul from one of the Argentinian enforcers for a card to be shown in the direction of Lionel Scaloni’s side. Medina lines up at left back for Argentina and has already been booked at the World Cup, with a foul against Austria in his most recent appearance.
Medina is a really aggressive defender and picked up seven cards across his 16 starts for Marseille in Ligue 1 during the 2025/26 campaign. He’ll be up against one of Cape Verde’s biggest threats in Ryan Mendes, who has been fouled twice at the World Cup so far. Cape Verde will look to progress through these wide areas, so Medina is worth looking at here.
Enzo Fernandez 1+ Shots on Target
Enzo Fernandez plays a bit deeper for Argentina than he does for Chelsea, and this is probably why the Real Madrid-linked man is yet to have a shot on target at the World Cup. However, his deep-lying nature here should play to our advantage with Cape Verde likely to sit in a very low block, which should give Fernandez space around the edge of the area.
As well as having this space on the edge of the box, Fernandez is also good at crashing the box with late runs into the penalty area to get on the end of crosses. It’s a route to goal that Argentina may have to revert to, given how stubborn Cape Verde’s defence has been so far – they’ve only conceded two goals at the World Cup so far, and kept Spain out for 90 minutes.
Fernandez had two efforts against Austria in his most recent start and scored twice for Argentina during qualifying. I expect him to be more involved in the final third here than he has been so far, supported by an average of 0.89 shots on target per 90 for Chelsea last season.
World Cup tips for Argentina v Cape Verde
Lionel Messi 2+ Goals
Facundo Medina Shown a Card
Enzo Fernandez 1+ Shots on Target
A Bet Builder with these selections pays approximately 40/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK OR TAP HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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