Argentina Advances in World Cup with Close Win Over Cape Verde

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — In a nail-biting match, Lionel Messi and Argentina edged out Cape Verde 3-2 on Friday, securing their spot in the World Cup’s Round of 16. The small island nation put up a strong fight against the reigning champions, keeping the tension high until the last moments of extra time.

Argentina’s pivotal goal came in the 111th minute, which was credited as an own goal after Cristian Romero’s header struck Cape Verde’s Dinny Borges. Messi started off strong, netting his record-setting 20th World Cup goal early in the match. Lisandro Martinez added another for Argentina in the 103rd minute, bringing the score to 2-1.

For Cape Verde, goals from Sidney López Cabral and Deroy Duarte kept the match exciting, with both players managing to find the net in a surprising show against the mostly pro-Argentine crowd in South Florida.

Argentina will now prepare to face Egypt, who recently defeated Australia in a tense shootout.

Cape Verde’s debut in the World Cup has been incredible, perhaps beyond what many expected. Led by their remarkable 40-year-old goalkeeper Vosinha, they clinched unexpected draws against teams like Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, making history as the smallest country to reach this stage.

Vosinha made an impressive 10 saves against Argentina, including five against Messi, proving to be a valuable asset for the team.

Messi scored another fantastic goal in the match, receiving a well-placed pass from Martínez and executing a precise touch to finish past Vosinha, giving Argentina an early lead in the 29th minute.

Throughout the tournament, Messi has been on a roll, registering seven goals, matching France’s Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot. This performance has extended Messi’s own World Cup goal record, now two goals ahead of Mbappé in the all-time rankings, with 12 goals during an impressive eight-game scoring streak.