Argentina was on the brink of elimination from the 2026 World Cup against a surprising Cape Verde, ultimately securing their place in the Round of 16 only thanks to a dramatic own goal in extra time. Lionel Messi, despite having opened the scoring, did not hide his frustration with the numerous mistakes made by the South American team and issued a warning: “There is much to correct,” he stated, anticipating even more complicated challenges ahead.
The match, held this Tuesday, was marked by the immense resistance of Cape Verde, which, with only 525,000 inhabitants, became the smallest country ever to reach the knockout stage of a World Cup. Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute, but Cape Verde responded fearlessly, equalizing just before the hour mark and sending the match into extra time. Lisandro Martínez restored Argentina's lead, but Sidny Lopes Cabral equalized again, until a misfortunate own goal by Diney, deflecting into his own net in front of goalkeeper Vozinha, sealed the Albiceleste's qualification, 3-2.
This electrifying clash highlighted Argentina's difficulties in managing their lead and controlling the pace of the game against a theoretically more accessible opponent. For Cape Verde, their historic performance reinforces their status as a sensation of this World Cup, enhancing their achievement of defeating Spain and drawing with Uruguay during the group stage. As for Lionel Scaloni's team, the struggle felt on the pitch exposed vulnerabilities that could prove fatal in the quarter-finals, especially against more renowned opponents.
Right after the final whistle, Messi emphasized the importance of the result but did not hold back on criticizing his team's performance. “Today, we made a huge effort, as always, playing well and playing poorly, as we usually say,” he began, still recovering from physical exhaustion. The Argentine captain added: “But I think the important thing now is to rest, think about what comes next, and try to take the positives from this game. Besides the qualification, I see positive points because we did some good things, but we also need to correct the bad ones, which today, in my opinion, were many.”
Messi also highlighted the merit of the Cape Verdeans, acknowledging the difficulty of the match: “We knew it was going to be a very complicated game; this team didn't lose to Spain and Uruguay for no reason,” explained the forward, justifying the challenges faced. “We did the hardest part, which was finding the first goal. We thought that from there we would impose our game and be more relaxed, but the opposite happened. We lost the ball, we dropped back too much, we couldn't pressure them well, and they took advantage of their strengths,” Messi explained, visibly concerned about the collective performance.
O MUNDIAL 2026 VIVE-SE COM A LEGO
The Argentine star also warned about the toughness of this World Cup: “We knew it wasn't going to be easy, and that's what this World Cup, in particular, is about. Everything is very balanced, very complicated, and every game is going to be extremely difficult,” Messi concluded, making it clear that a significant improvement will be necessary if Argentina wants to continue nurturing the dream of a third championship.
The hard-fought victory now places Argentina in the quarter-finals, where they will face an even more demanding opponent, under pressure to quickly address their defensive weaknesses and lack of consistency in performance. If they fail to do so, the South Americans risk being surprised once again and exiting the competition prematurely. For its part, Cape Verde departs with its head held high, having earned the respect of the football world and written another golden chapter in its short but already memorable international history.
AGORA PODE ACOMPANHAR O MUNDIAL DE FUTEBOL COM TODA INFORMAÇÃO – AQUI
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