Our 11/1 four-fold bet builder with Bet MGM for the Argentina vs Cape Verde Round of 32 clash at Hard Rock Stadium combines Over 2.5 Argentina Goals at Evens, Lionel Messi to Score at 1/2, Cristian Romero Over 0.5 Fouls at 4/11, and Diney Borges to be Booked at 16/5.
Kick-off is 11pm UK time on Friday 3 July 2026 (6pm ET in Miami Gardens). Live on ITV1 and ITVX in the UK.
Argentina vs Cape Verde Bet Builder Tip (11/1 with Bet MGM)
Argentina vs Cape Verde Betting Tips
Messi and Argentina are back on Friday night as they take on minnows Cape Verde, who have been the surprise package of the tournament so far.
Argentina have been very impressive and are rightly one of the favourites to go all the way and win the World Cup. They won three of three in the group stage, conceding only one goal in their 3-1 victory over bottom side Jordan.
Cape Verde have progressed to the round of 32 without winning a match, drawing all three of their group stage matches with 0-0 draws against Spain and Saudi Arabia, and a 2-2 draw against Uruguay. They shocked many in their opening game with that very impressive draw against Spain.
Over 2.5 Argentina Goals @ 1/1
In their three group matches, Argentina scored more than two goals twice, scoring exactly two in one game – a 2-0 win over Austria. In their last 10, they have scored more than two goals on five occasions, scoring five once, six once and three on three occasions. Coming up against Cape Verde here, the lowest ranked side remaining in the competition, I think they’ll manage more than 2.5 here, with the likes of Messi and Martinez in attack. Even money for this selection is the best value I have found for this fixture.
Lionel Messi to Score @ 1/2
Lionel Messi has had a fantastic World Cup so far, with many a neutral rooting for him to bring the World Cup back to Argentina once more, in what is highly likely to be his final ever major tournament. He has scored six goals in his three World Cup appearances already, with nine shots on target, and is the joint top scorer alongside Kylian Mbappé, who has played one more game. He will have plenty of chances here with Argentina’s fast-paced attack, and I think there’s a great chance he will bag at least his seventh goal of the World Cup here.
Cristian Romero Over 0.5 Fouls @ 4/11
We’ve all seen how aggressive Cristian Romero’s style of play is. I think there’s a fantastic chance he will make at least one foul here, despite not being put under a huge amount of pressure. Already at this World Cup, the central defender had made three fouls in his two appearances, an average of more than one foul per game. In the Premier League last season, he was carded 14 times for Spurs, with 12 yellows and two red cards, with a further two in the Champions League. I think he’s certain to make at least one foul against Cape Verde.
Diney Borges to be Booked @ 16/5
I’m backing Cape Verde defender Diney Borges to be carded in this one. It’ll be one of, if not the hardest game he ever experienced, as he comes up against not only Lionel Messi, but the likes of Lautaro Martinez as well. He has been carded once already at this World Cup, with a booking against Uruguay. It’ll be backs to the wall for his side here, and I expect him to be forced into several fouls, and he’s good odds to pick up his second booking of the tournament.
Alternative Bet — Lionel Messi to Score 2+ at 12/5
Messi bagged a hat-trick on matchday one against Algeria, followed by a brace against Austria and one against Jordan. Taking him to score two or more at 12/5 is a great alternative bet, given his history already in this competition.
Get a Free Bet for Argentina vs Cape Verde
If you don’t yet have a Bet MGM account, the Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets welcome offer gives you a £40 stake to deploy on this bet builder. Place a £10 qualifying bet at minimum odds Evens, and £40 in free bets will be released for use on the Argentina vs Cape Verde bet builder or any other World Cup market.
For a full comparison of UK welcome offers, see our World Cup 2026 free bets hub.
More World Cup 2026 and Betting Tips
- Matchbook Predictions Sign-Up Offer — Bet £20 Get £26 with code WC2026 for Predictions markets
- World Cup 2026 Hub — odds, tips and predictions for the tournament
- World Cup 2026 Free Bets Hub — every UK welcome offer compared
Jake has been on the thatsagoal.com team for over 5 years, and he is the person responsible for the bet builders across the Premier League and Champions League. His background in journalism means the articles are perfectly written, and each prediction is explained with stats and reasoning to back them up. There have been countless winners from Jake, including a 66/1 win in the FA Cup final when Manchester City were beaten by Crystal Palace.