Cape Verde have joined Nigeria’s Super Eagles as the only African nations to have scored more than one goal in a World Cup match against Argentina, after their thrilling 3-2 extra-time defeat to the two-time world champions in the round of 32 of the ongoing 2026 tournament in Miami, with the West African nation still holding the distinction of being the only African side to have done so against a reigning champion.
Cape Verde, appearing at their maiden World Cup, became the first African nation in the competition’s history to score more than one goal in a match against a defending champion, twice pulling level with Lionel Messi’s Argentina before eventually bowing out. Deroy Duarte’s 59th-minute strike cancelled out Messi’s opener to send the match into extra time, before Sidny Lopes Cabral’s curling effort in the 103rd minute wiped out Lisandro Martinez’s early extra-time goal, only for Cristian Romero’s header, which deflected in off defender Diney Borges, to break the Blue Sharks’ hearts in the 111th minute and send Argentina through to the last sixteen.
In doing so, Cape Verde also became only the second African country to score two or more goals in a World Cup match against Argentina, after Nigeria achieved the feat at the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
