The last team ranked 50th or lower to beat Argentina was Saudi Arabia, which occurred in the group stage of the Qatar World Cup on November 22, 2022.
Saudi Arabia won 2-1 to become the first team to beat Argentina since July 2019 after the Albiceleste went unbeaten in 36 consecutive matches.
Argentina faces the same prospect as four years ago when Lionel Messi and his teammates were challenged by Cape Verde, ranked 64th, in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup at Miami Stadium, Florida, United States.
But now, Lionel Scaloni's team is better prepared to face a surprise team, simply because they have seen how the Blue Sharks performed during the 2026 World Cup group stage.
Scaloni urged his players not to underestimate Cape Verde, saying that, according to him, the nation of 10 small islands in West Africa didn't come to North America as mere extras. "This is a team that never loses," Scaloni said.
Not only are they unbeaten, Cape Verde also earned their three points after drawing with former world champions Spain, former world champions Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, the elite powers of Asian football.
Who wouldn't be amazed by that achievement, especially since Cape Verde is only a small island nation that has never participated in the World Cup before?
The country is growing in confidence, even when facing the defending champions and one of only three teams to reach the knockout stage after winning their group, along with Mexico and France.
Now, no one in this country of 500,000 people is insecure. Not the president, not even the players. They have erased the word "impossible" from their vocabulary.
"I think Cape Verde can beat Argentina 1-0," said Cape Verdean President Jose Maria Neves, in an exclusive interview with the BBC, ahead of the last 32 match between the smallest nation to qualify for the World Cup knockout stage and the two-time world champions.
