MIAMI — Defending world champions Argentina narrowly avoided one of the greatest upsets in football history, overcoming a resilient Cape Verde side 3-2 after extra time in a dramatic FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash at Hard Rock Stadium.
The victory secures Argentina’s advancement to the Round of 16, where they will face Egypt. However, the underdogs from the tiny African island nation pushed the tournament favourites to their absolute limit, equalizing twice during a captivating 120-minute encounter.
Argentina opened the scoring in the 29th minute when captain Lionel Messi found the back of the net. Capitalizing on a swift defensive breakthrough, Messi controlled the ball deftly before poking it past Cape Verde’s veteran goalkeeper, Vozinha. The goal marked a historic milestone for Messi, making him the first player in football history to score in eight consecutive World Cup matches.
Despite trailing, Cape Verde refused to capitulate. The lowest-ranked team remaining in the knockout stage stunned the South American giants in the 59th minute. Midfielder Deroy Duarte received a precise pass on the edge of the area and drilled a low, powerful strike past Argentina’s goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez, to level the score at 1-1.
Vozinha kept Cape Verde in the match with a string of spectacular saves, denying Messi on multiple occasions from both open play and direct free kicks. His heroic performance between the posts forced the game into extra time after regulation ended in a stalemate.
Argentina restored their advantage just two minutes into the extra period. An in-swinging corner from Messifound defender Lisandro Martínez, who rifled a clinical shot high into the net. Yet, Cape Verde answered back spectacularly in the 103rd minute. Sidny Lopes Cabral cut inside from the left flank and unleashed a curling effort from outside the box that sailed into the far top corner, prompting wild celebrations.
The definitive breakthrough arrived late in the second half of extra time. Under intense pressure from the Argentinian frontline, Cape Verde defender Diney Borges unluckily turned the ball into his own net. Despite a frantic final push from the African debutants, Emiliano Martínez recorded two vital late saves to preserve Argentina’s narrow lead until the final whistle.
