Argentina 3 x 2 Cape Verde: see the best moments from the World Cup game
Argentina advanced to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup by beating Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time, on Friday night (3), at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami.
The match, valid for the round of 16 stage of the tournament, was marked by intense competition and two draws over the regular 90 minutes, forcing the decision in extra time.
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The first half was dominated by Argentina, with the team led by Lionel Scaloni controlling possession and putting pressure on the opponent from the start.
In the 28th minute, Lionel Messi opened the scoring after receiving a precise ball from Lisandro Martínez inside the area and finishing past goalkeeper Vozinha, scoring his seventh goal of the tournament.
The Cape Verdean goalkeeper even prevented the second Argentine goal before the break, with important saves, including a free kick from Enzo Fernández in the 45th minute.
In the second half, Cape Verde came back with a different attitude and, in the 13th minute, Deroy Duarte tied the game when he received a pass from Ryan Mendes and finished low with no chance for Emiliano Martínez.
Argentina tried to regain the advantage afterwards, but Vozinha stood out again with difficult saves, including a miraculous intervention in front of Messi face to face with the goal.
With the tie persisting, the teams went to extra time, where the confrontation gained even more excitement.
Just two minutes into the first extra time, Lisandro took advantage of a corner and finished in the draw to put Argentina ahead again.
The advantage was short-lived: in the 12th minute, Sidny Cabral dominated from the right wing, brought it into the middle and finished in the corner to equalize again, in one of the most beautiful moves of the match.
The definitive turning point came in the second half of extra time, at five minutes, when Diney scored an own goal, from a corner taken by Messi, and sealed the score at 3-2.
Cape Verde still pressed in the final minutes, but the Argentine defense, led by Emiliano with an important save in the 11th minute of the second extra time, resisted until the final whistle.
With qualification, Argentina advances to the round of 16 of the World Cup, where they will face Egypt in the next phase of the tournament.
Cape Verde, which made history in its first participation in the World Cup, ended its career with three draws in the group stage and a heroic defeat in extra time, ending the campaign with three points.
Without Germany, Brazil remains at the top of the list of World Cup champions
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Source: CNN