Cape Verde's World Cup magic has Italy great Materazzi spellbound

Marco Materazzi, the celebrated hero of Italy's 2006 World Cup victory, has been captivated by Cape Verde's remarkable debut in the 2026 tournament, labeling the African nation the "biggest surprise" of the competition so far. The islanders, a nation of modest size, have charmed fans with an undefeated group stage performance, securing three draws to advance in second place behind Spain and ahead of Uruguay.

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Cape Verde is the big surprise at the moment. Now they have to play against the world champions.

Led by their inspirational goalkeeper Vozinha, Cape Verde has earned a highly anticipated knockout stage match against the current world champions, Argentina, in Miami. Materazzi acknowledged the significant underdog status of Cape Verde against Lionel Messi's formidable team, but emphasized the unpredictable nature of football. "In 90 minutes in football, you never know what can happen," he told Reuters, while also expressing admiration for Messi's enduring brilliance at age 39.

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So we will see. We are here in Miami and looking forward to watching the game. (They are the) underdog. But in 90 minutes in football, you never know what can happen.

However, Cape Verde's success also serves as a stark reminder for Materazzi of Italy's ongoing World Cup drought. The Azzurri have failed to qualify for the last three tournaments, a stark contrast to their triumphant 2006 campaign. Materazzi believes Italian football has stagnated since that victory, failing to keep pace with the rapid development seen in other nations.

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Argentina is much better than Cape Verde at the moment (and they have) one of the best ever players in history.

He pointed to the advancements in football infrastructure in countries like Uzbekistan and Morocco as examples of what Italy needs to emulate. Materazzi expressed hope that the newly elected Italian Football Federation president, Giovanni Malago, will implement necessary changes to help Italy return to the World Cup stage. He noted the significant differences in training facilities, citing Uzbekistan's 12 pitches compared to Italy's limited number.

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I love Messi when he plays and I'm looking forward to watching him in the game. (Playing at) 39 years old is not easy and he is still one of the best.