Argentina beats Cape Verde in extra time at World Cup

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Argentina national football team advanced to the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup after defeating Cape Verde with a score of 3-2 in extra time. The Round of 32 match took place in Miami.

Argentina's captain, Lionel Messi, opened the scoring in the 29th minute. In the second half, Deroy Duarte restored balance, finding the net in the 59th minute. Early in extra time, Lisandro Martinez put Argentina ahead once again, but Sydney Cabral leveled the score for Cape Verde in the 103rd minute. The reigning world champions secured the victory courtesy of an own goal by Cape Verde defender Diney in the 111th minute.

By scoring in this match, Lionel Messi brought his total number of World Cup goals to 20, strengthening his leadership as the top goalscorer in the history of the tournament. His closest pursuer, France's Kylian Mbappe, has 18 goals to his credit. The Argentine also leads the goalscoring race of the current tournament with seven goals, while Mbappe has six.

Furthermore, Messi played his 30th match at the World Cup, which stands as a record-breaking achievement. In terms of appearances at the global tournaments, he is ahead of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, who has played 26 matches.

The Argentine captain also extended his record-breaking scoring streak at the World Cup, finding the net in his eighth consecutive match, and became the first football player to score in every single stage of the tournament.

In the Round of 16, Argentina will face Egypt, which previously defeated Australia in a penalty shootout. The match will take place on 7 July 2026 in Atlanta.

The FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and will conclude on 19 July 2026. Argentina is the reigning winner of the tournament.