Lionel Messi once again delivered when Argentina needed him most, scoring once and setting up another as the defending champions survived a major scare to edge past a spirited Cape Verde side 3-2 in their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash on Saturday. Speaking after the match, Messi admitted Argentina had expected a difficult contest, saying Cape Verde had already shown their quality with impressive performances against Spain and Uruguay. He also reserved special praise for veteran goalkeeper Vozinha and the rest of the Cape Verde squad.
With the match deep into extra time, Messi’s dangerous corner proved decisive as Diney Borges inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, handing Argentina a dramatic 3-2 victory and bringing an end to Cape Verde’s remarkable run that came within touching distance of one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
“Honestly, we knew it was going to be a very difficult match. It is no coincidence that this team did not lose to Spain or Uruguay,” Messi said after being named Player of the Match.
“Beyond qualifying for the next round, there are positives because we did a lot of good things. But we also made plenty of mistakes today, and those are things we need to improve,” he added.
Cape Verde push Argentina to the limit
Messi had earlier opened the scoring in the 29th minute, taking his World Cup tally to a record-extending 20 goals and moving two clear of France’s Kylian Mbappé on the tournament’s all-time scoring list.
However, Argentina never had complete control of the contest as Cape Verde twice fought back to level the score and keep their World Cup dream alive.
Forty-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha produced a string of outstanding saves throughout the match, frustrating Argentina’s attack and emerging as one of the standout performers of the contest.
“We did the hardest part by scoring the opening goal. We thought that after that we would settle into the game and play with more freedom, but the opposite happened,” Messi said.
“At times we gave the ball away too easily, dropped back too much and couldn’t press them properly. They took advantage of their strengths and punished us. We always knew it was going to be difficult. This is knockout football and nobody gives you anything. Some people might underestimate certain teams because of their name, but we knew that wasn’t the case. That’s what this World Cup has been like. Every team is competitive, every match is difficult and every game demands your best.”
Argentina will now face Egypt in the Round of 16 as they continue their title defence.
