The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash between Cape Verde and Argentina was a classic David-and-Goliath battle that saw the island nation, with a population of just half a million people, come agonisingly close to stunning the defending champions on Friday (local time).
Lionel Messi’s Argentina pulled themselves ahead three times during the match: once in normal time and twice in extra time. While a resilient Cape Verde side responded with equalisers on the first two occasions, they could not find a third. Yet, for a significant period, it looked as though the Blue Sharks would drag the footballing giants to a penalty shoot-out, spearheaded by a Sidny Lopes Cabral strike that is certain to contest for ‘goal of the tournament’.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring for Argentina in the first half, but Deroy Duarte deservedly equalised for Cape Verde at the hour mark. With the game locked at 1-1 at the end of regulation time, the referee signalled for an additional 30 minutes of extra time.
Lisandro Martinez, who had earlier set up Messi’s opener, briefly restored Argentina’s lead early in the first period of extra time. However, Cape Verde struck back almost immediately when Cabral unleashed a stunning, rocketed shot into the top corner to level the scores at 2-2, in what arguably was the goal of the tournament so far.
The breakthrough finally arrived from an Argentina corner. CristianRomero rose highest to head home Messi’s cross, with the ball taking a cruel deflection off Diney Borges for an own goal.
La Albiceleste will face Egypt next on Tuesday in Atlanta, but the performance will leave manager Lionel Scaloni with plenty of concerns, despite what looks like a favourable draw on paper. Celebrating his 100th match in charge of the national team, Scaloni could only wipe the sweat from his brow in sheer relief when Borges’ own goal crossed the line.
Even then, an exhausted Argentina had to ride their luck during a fierce Cape Verde onslaught in the final seconds. Emiliano Martinez, who had been a spectator in the first half but was forced into a smart save by Duarte earlier in the second, rescued his side by tipping another sweet Cabral strike over the crossbar.
Cape Verde had already served warning of their capabilities during the group stage, holding European champions Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia to draws in Group H to reach the knockouts in their debut World Cup appearance. Before kick-off, head coach Bubista called the meeting with Messi “the game of our lives”-and his players delivered a spirited, historic display that kept the world champions sweating for over 120 minutes.
Playing in the country where he now commands the pitch for Inter Miami, Messi’s every move was greeted with god-like adoration by a crowd of nearly 65,000 fans clad in sky blue and white. With his first-half goal, Messi extended his record of scoring in eight consecutive World Cup matches, opening up a temporary two-goal cushion over France’s Kylian Mbappe, in the race to become the tournament’s all-time top goalscorer.