Argentina defeated Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time on Friday to advance to the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 in a thrilling match that saw the reigning champion challenged until the final minutes. The decisive goal came in the 111th minute when a header from Cristian Romero deflected off Cape Verde's Diney Borges for an own goal.
Messi extends record with 20th World Cup goal
Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute, notching his record-extending 20th career World Cup goal. The Argentina captain found space behind the Cape Verde defense, controlled a lofted pass from Lisandro Martinez, and hammered a finish into the roof of the net past goalkeeper Vozinha. Messi now has seven goals in this tournament, one more than France's Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race, and has scored in eight consecutive World Cup matches, totaling 12 goals in that streak.
Argentina takes lead in extra time
Lisandro Martinez put Argentina ahead 2-1 in the 103rd minute, but Cape Verde equalized again before Argentina secured the win. Sidny Lopes Cabral and Deroy Duarte scored for Cape Verde, both equalizers that stunned the pro-Argentina crowd in South Florida. Argentina will now face Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday; Egypt advanced after beating Australia in a penalty shootout earlier Friday.
Cape Verde's historic World Cup debut
Cape Verde's memorable World Cup debut saw them become the smallest country to reach the knockout round. The tiny island nation off the western coast of Africa secured surprising draws against Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, thanks largely to the stellar play of 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who made 10 saves against Argentina, including five against Messi. Their run captivated fans and defied expectations.
