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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JUNE 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match between Argentina and Algeria at Kansas City Stadium on June 16, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Michael Steele\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Michael Steele<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The airport is directly across the street from the Inter Miami training facility, where the next chapter of the Argentine icon\u2019s storied career was about to begin.<\/p>\n
He left European soccer following Argentina\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He is in peak form and carrying Argentina\u2019s hopes of repeating as champion on his shoulders after scoring six of the team\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Messi kicked off the tournament with a hat trick in Argentina\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
With those goals he became the World Cup\u2019s all-time leading scorer with 19 goals.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s Jairzinho in 1970 had ever scored in six straight.<\/p>\n
Messi is tied with France\u2019s Kylian Mbappe in the 2026 Golden Boot race, followed by Norway\u2019s Erling Haaland and England\u2019s Harry Kane with five goals each.<\/p>\n
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\u2019Or trophies, a World Cup trophy, countless other prestigious championships, and makes an estimated $135 million a year between salary and endorsements.<\/p>\n
Messi\u2019s Inter Miami and Argentina teammate, and close friend, Rodrigo De Paul, is cherishing every moment Messi plays. Fans and media also remain fascinated with Messi. Several hundred reporters showed up at Argentina\u2019s training session on Thursday at Inter Miami\u2019s Fort Lauderdale training facility and chronicled Messi\u2019s every move.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to enjoy Leo Messi every single day just as every Argentinean citizen does,\u201d De Paul said on Thursday at the pregame news conference at Hard Rock Stadium. \u201cWe always value things we don\u2019t have anymore, that\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Messi\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Cape Verde is the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup knockouts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are excited as everybody else, but facing an opponent we must respect,\u201d Scaloni said Thursday. \u201cThey have played very well. Margins of error are very small. If you lose, you\u2019re out. We are coming in at a good place, but it won\u2019t be easy.<\/p>\n
\u201cCape Verde is a team that hasn\u2019t 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\u2019re not here by chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
De Paul echoed his coach\u2019s message.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen 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,\u201d De Paul said. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The winner of Friday\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis tournament has shown that the smaller teams can compete with the so-called superior teams,\u201d Cape Verde coach Bubista said. \u201cWe compete in our own way, staying true to our identity. Trying to honor what our country and people represent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The woman accused Mendes, Cape Verde\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Thursday\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 4:34 PM.<\/p>\n
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