After their historic World Cup debut run, Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks returned to a hero’s welcome parade in the nation’s capital of Praia.

Enjoy all the features, news, video analysis and color from around the 2026 World Cup as the round of 16 begins.

This is not the round of 32 matchup the defending World Cup champion expected, but it's the one it got as Argentina prepares to face off with Cape Verde on Friday in Miami. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said he is not concerned about the fact that all but two of the Albicelestes goals were scored by Lionel Messi,

The Cinderella story for Cape Verde at the 2026 FIFA World Cup came to an end on Friday, but not before they provided one of the great moments of the tournament with Sidny Lopes Cabral's game-tying goal in extra time against Argentina.

Cape Verde may have exited the World Cup following a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Argentina, but the tiny African nation has left a permanent mark on the global stage. Despite the loss, their performance against the reigning world champions in Miami drew unprecedented praise from some of football's biggest legends like Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Cabo Verde's World Cup campaign holds lessons for leaders. It shows that a team's culture matters more than star power. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.