“Cape Verde twice battled back and made life difficult for the defending champions”
Argentina booked their place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 with a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the Round of 32. Although the defending champions faced a tough challenge, they found a late winner to secure qualification.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute with his seventh goal of the tournament. However, Cape Verde responded in the second half as Deroy Duarte equalized in the 59th minute, sending the match into extra time.
Early in extra time, Lisandro MartÃnez restored Argentina’s lead. Nevertheless, Cape Verde refused to surrender, and Sidny Cabral made it 2-2 with a superb finish.
Finally, Argentina found the winning goal in the 111th minute. Messi’s corner was met by Cristian Romero, and the ball deflected off Diney Borges for an own goal. That decisive moment sealed a thrilling 3-2 victory.
As a result, Argentina advanced to the Round of 16, where they will face Egypt. Meanwhile, Cape Verde exited the tournament with pride after an outstanding performance against the reigning world champions.