Argentina edge out Cape Verde 3-2 in heated extra time battle

After a 1-1 stalemate in full time, Argentina edged out Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time to advance to the Round of 16 from the Round of 32 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Miami Stadium in the US.

Cabo Verde did an excellent job of limiting Lionel Messi's influence in the opening stages, but the Argentina captain only needed one moment to make the difference. In the 29th minute, Lisandro Martinez clipped a lofted pass over the top of the defense, and Messi timed his run to perfection, cushioning the ball with a sublime first touch before smashing his finish into the roof of the net for his seventh goal of the 2026 World Cup.

It was a goal that captured so much of Messi's brilliance: the movement to lose his marker, the awareness to judge the run, the flawless control, and the clinical finish, extending his World Cup record to 20 in the process.

Despite falling behind, Cabo Verde refused to fade and could take real encouragement from their first-half display. While they had not tested Emiliano Martinez, they competed impressively and showed they belonged on the biggest stage.

The Blue Sharks came out with real purpose after the break, pinning Argentina back in the opening minutes of the second half and earning a couple of corners as they looked for a route back into the game.

Their persistence paid off in the 59th minute when Deroy Duarte produced a stunning equalizer. Cabo Verde had started the second half with far greater intensity, and Duarte capped that spell by drilling a strike into the bottom corner to spark wild celebrations.

Argentina threw numbers forward in search of a late winner, but Cabo Verde defended with immense determination and resilience to force the match into extra time.

Just minutes into extra time, Lisandro Martinez, after setting up Argentina's first goal, put his side back in front. A corner was deflected to Martinez at the back post. He took a superb first touch to create the shooting opportunity before firing an unstoppable finish past Vozinha in the 92nd minute.

As it increasingly looked as though Martinez had scored the winner, Sidny Lopes Cabral became Cape Verde's beacon of hope with a stunning curling strike into the far top corner in the 103rd minute that left Emiliano Martinez with no chance.

This time, it was Argentina. Lionel Messi whips in a corner from the left, and Cristian Romero rises high to head into the far corner in the 111th minute, forcing Diney Borges to concede an own goal for Argentina to take the lead for the third and final time.

As debutants Cape Verde leave the tournament, Argentina will play Egypt in the Round of 16.