Cabo Verde took defending world champions Argentina to their absolute limit before losing 3-2 in extra time of their round of 32 contest, one of the most thrilling games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far.
The Argentina vs Cabo Verde game was played in the Miami Stadium, the home ground of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. This was a round-of-32 match and was the second-to-last game in this particular round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Cape Verde vs Argentina: Argentina Taken To Limit By Cabo Verde In 3-2 Win
The game started as most people would expect from his match-up, with the Argentines on the attack. In the first quarter of the match, the defending champs looked in the driving seat, despite not scoring in that period.
Then, at the start of the 29th minute, defender Lisandro Martínez made a sensational pass from the halfway line. The ball floated into the opposition’s box and into the feet of Messi. The GOAT controlled this ball the way only he can and then placed the shot perfectly past the goalkeeper from a tight angle, making the score 1-0.
This was Messi’s 20th goal in World Cups, becoming the first player to reach this milestone in this competition. He has also scored his seventh goal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He currently leads the Golden Boot race and also became the first player to score seven goals in two World Cups.
In the remainder of the first half, while Cabo Verde made a couple of low-chance attempts at the goal, it was still all Argentina. Striker Lautaro Martínez took a few shots at the goal but did not score.
The second half began with the Albiceleste still dominating possession. However, Cabo Verde did seem like they were more in the game after the break. The underdogs made more passes and created more chances.
In the 59th minute, the Blue Sharks finally put it all together. Winger Ryan Mendes found the ball on the flank. He passed it to midfielder Deroy Duarte in the box. Duarte, from an incredibly tight angle, took an early shot, surprising Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and sneaking the ball past him into the net, 1-1.
After the scores were level, the remaining 30 or so minutes of the second half were a story of missed opportunities for Argentina. In the 63rd minute, Messi had a chance to score when he found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, only to be denied by the shotstopper.
Cabo Verde’s goalie, the 40-year-old Vozinha, has already been in the headlines in this World Cup, following his brilliant performance against Spain in the group stage. His social media following went from a few thousand to 10s of millions overnight. Tonight, he was one of his nation’s heroes, saving shots left, right, and centre and stepping up in the second half.
And just like that, but only after a barrage by Argentina in stoppage time, the 90 minutes of regulation time ended with the score of 1-1.
In the second minute of extra time, the defending world champions won a corner. Alexis Mac Allister whipped the ball into the box to Lisandro Martínez in the far corner. The defender, who had already assisted once in this match, powered a shot from a tight angle and rocketed the ball into the top corner, 2-1 Argentina.
However, what followed next will be remembered for years to come. In the 103rd minute, left-back Sidny Lopes Cabral found the ball on the left flank. He cut inside to the edge of the box and fired a curling shot into the absolute top corner. Not only was this arguably the best goal of this tournament so far, but it was also one of the greatest World Cup goals of all time.
Heading into the extra-time break, the score stood at 2-2 between the two teams, who, before the 2026 FIFA World Cup or even before this match, were seen as nowhere near in quality.
But then, in the 111th minute, heartbreak for the minnows. Lionel Messi put a corner ball into the box, right on the head of defender Cristian Romero, who headed it towards the goal. The ball took a deflection off Cabo Verde defender Diney and went into the goal. The score was 3-2 as Argentina took the lead for the third time in this game.
In the 116th minute, the African island nation received a free-kick from the edge of the box and very nearly converted. But drawing the scoreline up for a third time against the mighty Argentina was a huge ask for Cabo Verde, a call that they could not answer. And like that, Argentina won 3-2 and headed into the round of 16.
The defending world champions will face Egypt in their round of 16 contest. And if they are to win that, the winner of Switzerland and Colombia will find them in the quarter-finals.
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