Argentina narrowly avoided a significant upset, defeating Cape Verde 3-2 in a dramatic extra-time World Cup knockout stage match. The victory keeps Argentina's quest for consecutive World Cup titles alive.
Cape Verde, ranked No. 64 in the world, proved a resilient opponent for the second-ranked Argentines. The African nation held Argentina scoreless for nearly 30 minutes before Lionel Messi broke the deadlock in the 29th minute with his 20th career World Cup goal. This tally also marked the first time a player has scored seven or more goals in multiple World Cups and extended Messi's streak of scoring in consecutive World Cup matches to eight.
Early in the second half, Cape Verde's Deroy Duarte equalized with a stunning goal, leveling the score at 1-1. Despite late pressure from Argentina, including a dangerous free kick from Messi, the match proceeded to extra time.
Argentina regained the lead in the 92nd minute through Lisandro Martinez. However, Cape Verde once again responded, with Sidny Lopes Cabral scoring an impressive goal in the 103rd minute to tie the game at 2-2. This marked the first time Argentina had conceded multiple goals in a single match during their ten-game World Cup winning streak.
The decisive goal came in the 111th minute when Messi took a corner kick that ultimately resulted in an own goal off a Cape Verde defender, securing the 3-2 victory for Argentina. The match saw Cape Verde score as many goals against Argentina in one game as the defending champions had conceded in their previous ten World Cup matches combined.
Argentina is scheduled to play Egypt in their next Round of 16 match on Tuesday in Atlanta.