Lionel Messi acknowledged Argentina has 'many' areas needing correction after scraping past Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time at Hard Rock Stadium. Messi opened scoring with a sublime goal, but Cape Verde's resilience forced the additional period before an own goal decided the match.

Cape Verde made history as the smallest nation to reach a World Cup knockout round, with their 525,000 population smaller than any U.S. state. Messi praised their organization, noting they hadn't lost to Spain and Uruguay without reason. The South American giants struggled to maintain pressure despite taking the lead twice.

Manager Lionel Scaloni will address tactical weaknesses privately with players rather than through the media. Argentina extended their winning streak to eleven matches while Messi increased his World Cup goals record to 20, leading the Golden Boot race with seven goals in this tournament.

Argentina advances to face Egypt on July 7 at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but Messi's post-match assessment suggests they'll need significant improvements to handle stronger opposition.