Lionel Messi strengthened his place as the FIFA World Cup’s all-time leading scorer after netting his 20th World Cup goal to help Argentina edge tournament debutants Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time and book their place in the Round of 16.
The defending champions were pushed all the way by the spirited Blue Sharks, with Messi scoring his seventh goal in just four matches at this year’s tournament before Argentina eventually prevailed in a thrilling knockout clash.
Messi’s brilliant first touch and composed finish gave Argentina the lead, but Cape Verde refused to back down. Deroy Duarte equalised midway through the second half, forcing Lionel Scaloni’s side to dig deep in the sweltering Miami heat.
Argentina regained the advantage early in extra time through Lisandro Martinez, only for Sidny Lopes Cabral to produce a stunning strike into the top corner to level the match once again.
The decisive moment finally arrived from a corner, as Cristian Romero’s header from a Messi delivery took a deflection off Diney Borges before finding the net for the winning goal.
Argentina will now face Egypt in the Round of 16, although Scaloni’s side were given a stern examination by a fearless Cape Verde team making their first-ever World Cup appearance.
Before the match, Cape Verde coach Bubista described facing Argentina as “the game of our lives,” and his players certainly lived up to that billing with a courageous performance.
Returning to Miami—where he plays club football for Inter Miami—Messi was once again the centre of attention, with nearly 65,000 fans filling the stadium in Argentina’s famous sky-blue and white colours.
Messi continues rewriting World Cup history
The 39-year-old produced another trademark moment of brilliance to open the scoring, controlling Lisandro Martinez’s pass with exquisite skill before lifting his finish beyond Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha.
The goal extended Messi’s remarkable record of scoring in eight consecutive World Cup matches, while also increasing his lead over France star Kylian Mbappe in the race to become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
Cape Verde, however, continued to threaten throughout. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was called into action early in the second half before being beaten by Duarte’s well-taken equaliser after Ryan Mendes’ assist.
At the opposite end, veteran goalkeeper Vozinha—who became a global sensation after his heroics against Spain earlier in the tournament—once again showcased his quality by denying Messi in a one-on-one situation when the Argentine looked certain to score his second goal of the night.
Despite the scare, Argentina found a way through and remain firmly on course to defend their World Cup crown.
