It took the World Cup holders extra time to see off of a group of blokes who came to the US with nothing more than an American dream.07:28, 04 Jul 2026Updated 07:32, 04 Jul 2026They started off as little old Cape Verde. But finished up being Caped crusaders.‌A team of Supermen who threatened to become Lionel Messi and Argentina's kryptonite.‌In the end the fairytale was brought to a crushing end, in the cruellest of ways.‌A deflected own goal from the head of Diney Borges, just three minutes before the lottery of a penalty shoot out.But the fact it took the World Cup holders extra time to see off of a group of blokes who came here with nothing more than an American dream, speaks volumes for what unfolded in Miami.For more than 120 minutes Cape Verde went toe-to-toe with one of the true giants of world football - and didn't give an inch.‌Not even when Messi had put Argentina ahead with another sensational strike.And not even when Lisandro Martinez had powered Argentina ahead again in extra time.‌Twice Cape Verde were on the canvass, and twice they got back up again to throw some punches of their own.Deroy Duarte had equalised in the second half. Before Sidny Lopes Cabral did the same again on 103 minutes.With the goal of the tournament, in one of the games of the tournament, to threaten the greatest story the tournament had ever told.‌The unthinkable one - Messi being dumped out of a World Cup, by a team which included a bloke who used to work as a mortgage advisor.If a game of football had ever represented a David & Goliath battle, this was it.‌Argentina had won the World Cup three times and were defending champions. Cape Verde were taking part in their first one.Argentina had played in 91 World Cup games, this was Cape Verde's 4th. The combined value of Argentina's starting XI was more than £360m, while Cape Verde's was less than £20m.And Argentina had a certain bloke called Messi still calling the shots.‌The mercurial Messi must have been licking his lips heading into a match some bookmakers had refused to offer odds on Argentina winning.His six goals in four games had left him level with Kylian Mbappe in what is now a thrilling race for the Golden Boot.He also had more records in his sights.‌Which included him looking to become just the fourth man to score in five successive World Cup knockout games.Something which took him less than 30 minutes to do.‌Messi had had a couple of sighters, but Cape Verde appeared to be organised and disciplined.That was until Martinez picked out Messi close to goal.In a flash Messi produced a first touch from the gods, before beating Jose Vozinha with a wonderful, chipped finish.‌Those inside the Miami Stadium were watching a genius at work.The moment of magic saw Messi extend his run of goals to eight consecutive World Cup games.He now has 20 in total, and in the space of a couple of weeks has made Miroslav Klose's previous, long-standing record of, 16 look irrelevant.‌The floodgates gates were expected to open. But didn't. Not even close.Cape Verde continued to give as good as they got, and then hit Argentina with a slap no-one had seen coming when Duarte squeezed a shot between the legs of Martinez and past Emi Martinez, to level matters.Some Cape Verde fans behind the goal were in tears.‌Argentina's frustration was starting to mount. Scaloni's men looked in a slight state of shock at the position they found themselves in.But the drama had only just begun.Pico Lopes produced the interception of the tournament to cut out a cross from Nahuel Molina, as the incredible rearguard action continued. It was gripping stuff.‌The dream appeared to have died when Martinez rifled Argentina ahead again.But back came Cape Verde, when Lopes Carbral curled a sensational strike into the top corner to make it 2-2. An astonishing goal to grace an even more astonishing occasion.‌All of a sudden Taylor Swift's wedding wasn't the biggest show in the States.But then substitute Cristian Romero had to go and spoil things, jumping to meet Messi's corner before seeing his header glance off Borges to beat Vozinha.It was heartbreaking for Cape Verde, who collapsed to the turf at the final whistle.Article continues belowSo Messi mania and the subsequent bandwagon somehow keeps rolling on.Yet the real winners weren't the defending champions - but those in dark blue who came so close to producing the miracle of knocking them out.