Saturday, July 4th 2026 - 06:43 UTC
Lionel Messi put the world champions ahead in the 28th minute, controlling the ball with his left foot and firing a precise shot after an assist from Lisandro Martínez
Argentina beat Cape Verde 3-2 on Friday, in a match settled in extra time, to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The side coached by Lionel Scaloni had to dig deep to overcome a debutant that pushed the tie to the limit at the Miami stadium.
Lionel Messi put the world champions ahead in the 28th minute, controlling the ball with his left foot and firing a precise shot after an assist from Lisandro Martínez. The goal seemed to steer the match, but Cape Verde, making its World Cup debut, responded with a tenacious display and reached the end of the ninety minutes level, having already held its own against higher-ranked opponents in the group stage. One of its goals, scored by Benfica forward Lopes Cabral, seriously troubled Argentina and forced extra time.
In extra time, Lisandro Martínez was again decisive and took part in the move that led to the winning goal, which came in the 111th minute: a shot from Cristian “Cuti” Romero deflected off a Cape Verde defender and ended up in the back of the net. Cape Verde, which managed thirteen shots in the match, could not find another equalizer and was eliminated after a strong showing in its first World Cup.
