Messi World Cup Goals: Will Messi Score vs. Cape Verde?

Argentina takes on Cape Verde in today’s 2026 World Cup Round of 32 match, set to kick off at 6 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. Lionel Messi is in the lineup for Argentina, looking to continue his ascent up the World Cup record books with a spot in the Round of 16 on the line.

The Argentinian star has scored in all three World Cup games this tournament and is currently tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé, who has played one more match, for most goals in the event with 6. The player with the most goals scored is awarded the Golden Boot, which Messi is currently the favorite to win at PrizePicks Team Picks, returning a 2.12x payout. 

Will Lionel Messi score vs. Cape Verde? Let's dive into some Messi picks for Argentina vs. Cape Verde, weaving in projections from PrizePicks.

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Will Messi Score a Goal vs. Cape Verde in the Round of 32?

Messi didn’t wait long to make his mark on yet another World Cup, recording a hat trick in the first match against Algeria. In that outing, Messi had 6 shots and 4 on goal, scoring 3 times on Luca Zidane. This tied Messi for the most World Cup goals in history with 16.

One match later, Messi stood alone atop the all-time World Cup goal scorers, adding a pair more vs. Austria, the second in added time as Argentina clinched Group J.

With a spot in the knockout round secured, Messi didn't start the third match vs. Jordan. However, he came on in the second half and scored again, becoming the first player to ever score in seven straight World Cup matches. 

Lionel Messi Pick, World Cup Stats to Target vs. Cape Verde

After 6 goals over the first 3 matches, will Lionel Messi continue to light up the scoreboard vs. Cape Verde? You can make your prediction by picking More or Less on Messi’s projected stats below and cash in if you’re right. 

• 0.5 Goals (Goblin)
• 3.5 Shots (Goblin)
• 55.5 Pass Attempts
• 1.5 Shots on Goal (Goblin)
• 4.5 Attempted Dribbles
• 2.5 Shots Assisted
• 30 Fantasy Score
• 1.5 Tackles (Demon)
• 0.5 Assists (Demon)
• 1.5 Goal + Assist (Demon)

Now that we’ve laid out the wide variety of options for Messi’s performance tonight, which projections stand out among the bunch?

Lionel Messi vs. Cape Verde: 0.5 Goals

• Messi's World Cup dominance streak dates back to 2022. He scored in all four knockout round matches for Argentina in 2022 en route to a title. 
• Messi’s 6 goals this tournament are ahead of Norway’s Erling Haaland and England’s Harry Kane who, like Mbappé, have also played four matches. 
• The Argentinian striker’s FotMob rating is 8.67, the highest of any player with only three matches played. 
• The World Cup dates back to 1930, nearly 100 years. Messi has 19 goals in 29 matches, the most of any player in the history of the event. 

Lionel Messi vs. Cape Verde: 3.5 Shots

• Messi has recorded 15 shots through three games in the 2026 World Cup, but he's only started twice. In the two games he started, Messi recorded 6 and 7 shots on goal, playing 80 and 90 minutes, respectively. In the match he “only” had 2 shots, he came off the bench and played 30 minutes. 
• Over his last 9 matches with Argentina, dating back to World Cup qualifying, Messi is averaging 4.7 shots per match when he plays 50+ minutes.
• If you only count World Cup matches, Messi is averaging 4.6 shots over his last 10.
• Messi’s shots per 90 minutes (6.8) and shots on target per 90 (4.1) both lead all players in the World Cup. 

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Make Argentina vs. Cape Verde World Cup Round of 32 Predictions on PrizePicks

Argentina looks to advance to the Round of 16 for the fifth straight World Cup with the all-time World Cup scorer, Lionel Messi, leading the way. Can Messi add to his record World Cup total and score for an eighth straight match?

Don’t wait until lock. Make your Argentina and Messi picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right on every World Cup game.

Pick World Cup players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on World Cup match winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.

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