MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Lionel Messi and Argentina narrowly defeated Cape Verde 3-2 on Friday, advancing to the World Cup Round of 16 after a dramatic match that saw the island nation challenge the reigning champions until the final minutes of extra time.
The decisive goal for Argentina came in the 111th minute, officially credited as an own-goal after Cristian Romero’s header deflected off Cape Verde’s Diney Borges. Messi had opened the scoring for Argentina in regulation time, netting his record-extending 20th career World Cup goal. Lisandro Martinez added a goal in the 103rd minute to give Argentina a 2-1 lead.
Cape Verde responded with equalizers from Sidny Lopes Cabral and Deroy Duarte, stunning the pro-Argentina crowd. The nation’s goalkeeper, 40-year-old Vozinha, made 10 saves against Argentina, including five against Messi, to keep his team in contention.
Messi’s opening goal came in the 29th minute. A well-timed run behind the Cape Verde defense allowed him to receive a pass from Martinez, and he quickly finished into the net past Vozinha. This goal was Messi's seventh of the tournament, placing him one goal ahead of Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race and extending his World Cup scoring streak to eight consecutive matches.
Argentina will face Egypt, which advanced after a penalty shootout victory over Australia, in Atlanta on Tuesday. Cape Verde’s appearance in the knockout stage marked a historic debut in the World Cup for the small island nation. Their surprising run included draws against Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia.