On July 3, local time, at Miami Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, Argentina drew 1-1 with Cabo Verde after 90 minutes of regulation play, ultimately winning 3-2 in extra time.
With this victory, Argentina continues its quest for a second consecutive World Cup title. The team had previously defeated Algeria, Austria, and Jordan in the group stage, but faced unexpected challenges in their first knockout match.
Argentina will face Egypt, which triumphed over Australia in a penalty shootout, in the Round of 16 on July 8 in Atlanta, Georgia. This matchup will also feature a showdown between Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah.
Cabo Verde's journey in its first-ever World Cup ended in the Round of 32. The African island nation advanced to the knockout stage as the second-place team in Group H, drawing with Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia to earn three points. They demonstrated resilience by equalizing against Argentina twice during the match.
Argentina's attack was led by Messi, Thiago Almada, and Lautaro Martínez, while Cabo Verde's standout goalkeeper, Bozena, defended the net.
Argentina took the lead in the 29th minute of the first half when Messi scored the opening goal. Lisandro Martínez delivered a long pass from the back, which Messi skillfully controlled before finishing with a left-footed shot.
With this goal, Messi reached a milestone of 20 goals in World Cup history, becoming the first player to achieve this feat. He also took the lead in the tournament's scoring race with his seventh goal, surpassing Kylian Mbappé of France, who has six goals.
After leading by one goal at halftime, Argentina faced a resurgence from Cabo Verde in the second half. In the 59th minute, Cabo Verde's Drua Duarte equalized with a right-footed shot following a pass from Hiang Mendes.
Argentina attempted to regain the lead with Messi's free kicks, but Bozena's saves kept the match level through regulation time.
The contest remained tight in extra time. Argentina regained the lead in the second minute of the first extra period with a goal from Lisandro Martínez, but Cabo Verde equalized again in the 13th minute when Sydney Lopes Cabral scored with a powerful right-footed shot.
With time running out, Argentina found the decisive goal in the sixth minute of the second extra period. Following a corner kick taken by Messi, Cristian Romero's header deflected off Cabo Verde defender Diney Borges for an own goal.
Cabo Verde continued to press for an equalizer, but Argentina held on to their one-goal lead thanks to key saves from goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. Ultimately, Argentina secured their place in the Round of 16, while Cabo Verde concluded its first World Cup campaign in the Round of 32.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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