Argentina survived a wild round‑of‑32 clash in Miami, edging Cape Verde 3‑2 after extra time. Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute, curling a left‑footed finish past goalkeeper Vozinha. Cape Verde equalised through Deroy Duarte before Lisandro Martínez restored the lead, only for Sidny Lopes Cabral to level at 103 minutes in front of a roaring stadium crowd.

The dead‑lock broke at 111 minutes when Diney Borges, challenging Cristian Romero from a Messi set‑piece, inadvertently directed the ball into his own net, delivering the decisive own goal. Emiliano Martínez made two crucial saves to deny further Cape Verde chances, preserving Argentina’s advance and averting what would have been the biggest upset in World Cup knockout history and kept the tie alive.

Messi’s strike marked his seventh goal of the tournament, one ahead of Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race and made him the first player to score in eight consecutive World Cups. The win pushes the No.1‑ranked side past the No. 67 underdogs, while Cape Verde’s spirited performance, highlighted by Cabral’s long‑range equaliser, earns them admiration despite the loss and solidifies Argentina’s knockout credentials.