Argentina Triumphs Over Cape Verde in World Cup Thriller

Argentina Advances to Knockout Stage

In a gripping encounter on Friday, Lionel Messi and the Argentine national team secured a 3-2 victory against Cape Verde, propelling them into the Round of 16 of the World Cup. The match showcased the underdog Cape Verde, who put up a fierce fight against the reigning champions until the very end of extra time.

The decisive moment came in the 111th minute when an own-goal was awarded to Argentina after Cristian Romero's header deflected off Diney Borges of Cape Verde.

Messi opened the scoring early in the match, marking his 20th career World Cup goal, a record. Lisandro Martinez added another for Argentina in the 103rd minute, giving them a 2-1 lead.

Cape Verde's Sidny Lopes Cabral and Deroy Duarte both found the net, equalizing at crucial moments and surprising the predominantly Argentine crowd in South Florida.

Argentina is set to face Egypt, who triumphed over Australia in a penalty shootout earlier that day, in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Cape Verde's debut in the World Cup was remarkable, as they became the smallest nation to reach the knockout stage, achieving unexpected draws against teams like Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia.

Goalkeeper Vozinha, aged 40, was instrumental for Cape Verde, making 10 saves against Argentina, including five against Messi.

Messi's first goal came in the 29th minute, where he skillfully evaded the Cape Verde defense, receiving a perfectly timed pass from Martinez and finishing with a powerful shot into the net.

With seven goals in this tournament, Messi leads the Golden Boot race, surpassing France's Kylian Mbappe, and has extended his World Cup record, now holding 12 goals during an impressive eight-match scoring streak.