Lionel Messi scored his 20th World Cup goal in the 29th minute, extending his record goal-scoring streak to eight consecutive World Cup matches, as defending champions Argentina narrowly defeated Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time to advance to the Round of 16. Messi's goal, his seventh of the tournament, moved him two ahead of France's Kylian Mbappe on the all-time World Cup scoring list and kept him atop the Golden Boot race.
Messi's milestone and Argentina's struggle
Messi's 20th World Cup goal came on a perfectly timed run into the box, controlling a pass from defender Lisandro Martinez and lifting the ball over Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha's left shoulder from close range. It was his 124th international goal, trailing only Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (146). After the match, Messi acknowledged the team's performance: "We did good things, and we have to correct the bad things."
Despite being heavy favorites—with some sportsbooks listing Argentina at minus-3500 to win—the defending champions struggled to contain Cape Verde, who equalized twice to force extra time. Messi set up the winning goal with a corner kick that deflected into the net midway through the second half of extra time.
Golden Boot race heats up
Messi leads the Golden Boot race with seven goals, one more than Mbappe. Other contenders include Norway's Erling Haaland and England's Harry Kane with five goals each, while France's Ousmane Dembele, Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal, Brazil's Vinicius Junior, and Senegal's Ismaila Sarr (eliminated) have four. In case of a tie, FIFA uses assists as the first tiebreaker and fewest minutes played as the second; entering Friday, Mbappe held a 2-0 assist lead over Messi.
Messi has never won the Golden Boot. He finished second with seven goals in 2022 and tied for third with four in 2014. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni commented on the team's resilience: "I hope you now realize, there is no easy opponent."
Messi's streak and legacy
Messi's eight-game World Cup goal streak dates back to Argentina's 2022 title run. He has scored 12 times during this span. Teammate Rodrigo De Paul said, "For me, it represents a lot to be friends with him. Friendship is one of the most important things that we all have."
Messi's goal against Cape Verde was his 124th international goal, second only to Ronaldo's 146. He also provided the assist for the winning goal, showcasing his all-around impact. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha acknowledged the effort: "Our team did everything we could to win the game."
