Argentina edge past debutants Cabo Verde in extra-time thriller
Argentina captain Lionel Messi said his team "knew how to suffer and pull it off" after they secured a place in the FIFA World Cup round of 16 with a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over tournament debutants Cabo Verde in Miami on July 3, 2026.
Posting on Instagram after the match, Messi wrote: "We knew it was going to be difficult, but we knew how to suffer and pull it off. We keep going."
Messi opens scoring, Cabo Verde fight back
Argentina took the lead in the 29th minute when Messi controlled a diagonal pass from Lisandro Martinez and fired into the roof of the net. The goal was Messi's seventh of the tournament, moving him to the top of the Golden Boot standings.
Cabo Verde, making their first appearance in a World Cup knockout stage, equalised just before the hour mark when Ryan Mendes set up Deroy Duarte, who finished confidently from a tight angle to score his country's first-ever knockout-stage goal.
Vozinha heroics force extra time
Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha produced a string of outstanding saves, repeatedly denying Messi and keeping the scores level through regulation time, forcing the match into extra time.
Argentina regained the lead in the 92nd minute when Lisandro Martinez converted from close range following a corner. However, Cabo Verde responded again in the 103rd minute through Sidny Lopes Cabral, who curled a stunning effort from a tight angle to make it 2-2.
Own goal decides dramatic contest
The decisive moment came in the 111th minute when Messi's corner was met by Cristian Romero, whose powerful header took a slight deflection off Cabo Verde's Diney Borges and found the back of the net for an own goal.
Cabo Verde nearly forced penalties late on, but Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced a vital save to deny Lopes Cabral's powerful free-kick, securing Argentina's progress to the round of 16.
Despite the defeat, Cabo Verde's performance earned widespread acclaim from fans and even the opposition for pushing the defending champions to the limit in their historic knockout-stage debut.
