- Argentina survived the most dramatic and genuinely threatening challenge of their World Cup title defence with a breathless 3-2 extra-time victory over debutant tourists Cape Verde. Messi's record 20th World Cup goal, Lisandro Martinez's thunderous equaliser, and Romero's 111th-minute decisive header collectively overcame Deroy Duarte's composed leveller and Sidny Cabral's extraordinary top-corner thunderbolt in one of the competition's most genuinely extraordinary and emotionally intense matches.
- Cape Verde's extraordinary tournament journey ends with enormous collective credit, their unbeaten group stage, dramatic equalisers against Uruguay and now Argentina, Sidny Cabral's goal-of-the-tournament contender, and Vozinha's eight-save heroics across 120 minutes confirming the Blue Sharks as the most romantically compelling and competitively impressive debut nation in recent World Cup history.
- Lisandro Martinez was the outstanding performer at 9.0/10; his perfectly weighted assist for Messi's opener, thunderous 92nd-minute top-corner equaliser, and commanding defensive authority throughout 120 gruelling extra-time minutes the defining individual contribution in Argentina's most testing and emotionally turbulent knockout-round performance of their title defence.
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Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde Player Ratings: Lionel Messi 9.0/10 Record 20th World Cup Goal Inspires Argentina's Dramatic Extra-Time Cape Verde Survival
Summary
Miami Stadium witnessed the most extraordinary and emotionally charged match of the entire 2026 FIFA World Cup as defending champions Argentina, heavy favourites at 84.1% pre-match win probability, were twice pegged back by tournament debutants the Cape Verde national football team before Romero's 111th-minute deflected header finally ended the Blue Sharks' fairytale and secured a last-16 meeting with Egypt. For fans tracking the tournament's most compelling underdog narrative, this result represents one of the finest competitive performances by a debut World Cup nation in the competition's entire history.
Lionel Messi's 29th-minute composed chip over Vozinha, his 20th World Cup goal and seventh of this tournament, moved the Argentine captain into territory no other player in football history has occupied, while simultaneously delivering the kind of effortless brilliance that made his 30th World Cup appearance one of the sport's defining individual milestones. His goal extended his record of scoring in eight consecutive World Cup matches to surpass both Pele and Jairzinho.
Cape Verde's collective courage across 120 extraordinary minutes was defined by two genuinely stunning goals, Deroy Duarte's composed near-post finish in the 59th minute and Sidny Cabral's absolute thunderbolt of a curling right-footed strike in the 103rd minute that drew universal gasps from a stadium containing thousands of Argentine supporters who briefly and genuinely feared one of the most seismic upsets in World Cup history.
Lisandro Martinez was the individual who ultimately proved decisive, his thumping 92nd-minute left-footed strike into the top corner levelling Sidny Cabral's stunning opener at 2-2, before his inch-perfect diagonal pass created the space for Messi's 29th-minute opener earlier in the contest, confirming the Inter Miami centre-back as the most impactful, technically complete, and physically dominant individual defender in the Argentina national football team's entire 2026 World Cup campaign. Check out the Argentina vs Cape Verde player ratings.
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Argentina National Football Team Player Ratings vs Cape Verde
Here are the Argentina national football team player ratings from the Argentina vs Cape Verde Player Ratings.
| Player Name | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Emiliano Martínez | 6.2 |
| Nahuel Molina | 6.3 |
| Cristian Romero | 7.5 |
| Lisandro Martínez | 8.8 |
| Facundo Medina | 7.3 |
| Rodrigo De Paul | 7.0 |
| Alexis Mac Allister | 8.2 |
| Enzo Fernández | 7.8 |
| Thiago Almada | 6.9 |
| Lionel Messi | 9.0 |
| Lautaro Martínez | 6.2 |
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Cape Verde National Football Team Player Ratings vs Argentina
Have a look at the Cape Verde national football team player ratings from the Argentina vs Cape Verde Player Ratings.
| Player Name | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Vozinha | 8.0 |
| Steven Moreira | 6.1 |
| Pico Lopes | 5.9 |
| Diney Borges | 5.5 |
| Sidny Cabral | 7.1 |
| Kevin Pina | 7.4 |
| Ryan Mendes | 6.9 |
| Laros Duarte | 6.4 |
| Deroy Duarte | 7.5 |
| Jovane Cabral | 6.7 |
| Nuno da Costa | 6.0 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was the result of Argentina vs Cape Verde?
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What was the result of Argentina vs Cape Verde?
Argentina won 3-2 against Cape Verde.
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