Argentina answered who won the match today with a 3-2 extra-time win over Cabo Verde and a place in the octavos de final. The reigning world champions needed every minute of it in Miami Gardens, Florida, after Cabo Verde pushed the match to the edge before Argentina finally broke through.
Lionel Messi Starts the Scoring
Lionel Messi scored for Argentina in the first half, and that goal set the tone for a match that kept slipping away from the champions. He later said, "Esta selección siempre compite y va a hacerlo hasta el final".
Messi is 39 years old, has scored in all four matches he has played in the tournament, and reached 20 World Cup goals, moving ahead of Kylian Mbappé's 18. He also sent in the corner that led to the winner after Diney Borges got the decisive touch.
Cabo Verde Pushes Argentina Hard
Cabo Verde did not fold after going behind. Deroy Duarte leveled the match in the 59th minute, and Sidny Lopes Cabral then struck from more than 23 meters in the first part of extra time to put Cabo Verde ahead.
Argentina had already survived a long night by then. Lisandro Martínez scored in extra time to pull the match back level before Cristian Romero finished the job with the winning goal after Messi's corner was deflected by Borges.
Scaloni Reaches 100 Matches
Lionel Scaloni reached 100 matches in charge of Argentina in a game that exposed how thin the margin was for the champions. He summed it up after the final whistle: "Cuando uno dice que no hay partidos fáciles en el Mundial, es cierto".
Argentina also extended its unbeaten run in elimination matches that began after the loss to Brasil in the semifinal of Copa América 2019. The next step comes on 7 de julio in Atlanta, where Argentina will face Egipto after surviving a knockout match that almost spun away from them.
