In a gripping match in Miami Gardens, Lionel Messi and Argentina claimed a 3-2 victory against Cape Verde, securing their spot in the World Cup Round of 16. Cape Verde, new to the World Cup scene, delivered a surprisingly strong performance against the reigning champions.
The decisive moment occurred in the 111th minute when an own-goal was credited to Cape Verde’s Diney Borges. This happened after Cristian Romero’s header redirected off Borges, giving Argentina the go-ahead score.
Earlier, Messi scored his 20th career World Cup goal, breaking his own record. Lisandro Martinez also added a goal in the 103rd minute, pushing Argentina to a 2-1 lead. Cape Verde managed to equalize twice, with goals from Sidny Lopes Cabral and Deroy Duarte. These goals shocked the largely pro-Argentina crowd present in South Florida.
Argentina, led by captain Lionel Messi, celebrated the victory which propelled them to face Egypt next. Egypt reached this stage after a win over Australia via a penalty shootout. This match is scheduled for Tuesday in Atlanta.
Cape Verde’s journey in the World Cup was remarkable, surprising many who did not expect their debut performance. They became the smallest nation ever to reach the knockout round, earning unexpected draws against strong teams like Spain and Uruguay, as well as Saudi Arabia.
Their goalkeeper, 40-year-old Vozinha, played a crucial role in their success, making significant saves throughout the tournament, including 10 against Argentina. He managed to stop five attempts from Messi himself.
Messi added to his impressive list of achievements, scoring in the 29th minute with a skillful move that saw him break through the Cape Verde defense. This move was initiated by a well-timed pass from Martinez. With seven goals in the current tournament, Messi leads the race for the Golden Boot, edging out Kylian Mbappé of France.
Messi’s current World Cup performance continues to break records, adding to his tally with a record eight-match scoring streak, placing him two goals ahead of Mbappé on the all-time scoring list.