Argentina survives Cape Verde scare in extra time as Messi reaches 20 World Cup goals

A dramatic night in Miami

Argentina's defence of the World Cup was pushed to the limit by a resolute Cape Verde side that refused to wilt. The Albiceleste took the lead through Lionel Messi's clinical finish in the 29th minute, but the Blue Sharks equalised twice, the second time in the 103rd minute of extra time, before Argentina found a decisive third goal to avoid a penalty shootout. The 3-2 victory at Hard Rock Stadium sends the champions into a quarter-final against Egypt on 7 July.

Messi rewrites history again

Messi's opener, a controlled left-footed strike from Lisandro Martínez's long pass, was his seventh goal of the tournament, matching his tally from the 2022 edition. It also made him the first player to score in eight consecutive World Cup matches and took his career total to 20 goals, two clear of Kylian Mbappé. The Inter Miami forward was at the heart of every Argentine threat, with Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha forced into several saves.

Cape Verde are not here by accident. They are a team that has not lost.

Off-field controversy

The match was shadowed by a rape allegation against Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes. The 36-year-old winger, his country's most-capped player and all-time top scorer, was named in the starting eleven despite an ongoing New Zealand police investigation into an incident reported on 10 April in Auckland. A Brazilian interpreter has accused Mendes of entering her hotel room and assaulting her. Neither the Cape Verdean federation nor FIFA commented on the case, and coach Pedro Leitao Brito refused to address it at his press conference.

Belief and defiance

Cape Verde, appearing in their first World Cup, had already frustrated Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia with three group-stage draws. President José Maria Neves epitomised the underdog spirit before kick-off, predicting a 1-0 win that would allow the island nation to "write our own destiny."

I think Cape Verde can beat Argentina 1-0. We went to this World Cup to face the champions, and we will do so with the same determination and desire to win and reach the next stage.

Coach Bubista added that his players had nothing to fear and would treat the match as "the game of our lives."

What's next

Argentina's exhausting victory sets up a quarter-final against Egypt on 7 July, while Cape Verde depart with their reputation massively enhanced after pushing the holders to the brink.