Argentina survived the biggest scare of their World Cup title defense on Friday night, needing extra time and a bizarre own goal to see off a fearless Cape Verde side that came within touching distance of one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.
The reigning champions won 3-2 at a sweltering Miami Stadium. Still, the scoreline barely captures how close the tournament’s top-ranked team came to a stunning exit against a nation ranked 67th in the world and playing in its first-ever World Cup. A crowd of more than 64,000 packed the stadium expecting a routine night for Lionel Messi and his teammates. Instead, Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks twice clawed back from a goal down and pushed the contest into extra time before Argentina finally found a way through.
Messi, 39, opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a moment of pure class, cushioning a long ball from Lisandro Martinez with the outside of his left boot before slotting it past goalkeeper Vozinha. It was his seventh goal of this World Cup and extended his own record of scoring in eight consecutive World Cup matches, a run that stretches back across multiple tournaments.
Cape Verde, however, refused to fold. Deroy Duarte leveled the score just before the hour mark, controlling a pass from captain Ryan Mendes before drilling a low shot past Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. The goal electrified a section of supporters who had traveled to see their tiny island nation make history. For long stretches afterward, Argentina looked short on answers against a disciplined, well-organized defense marshaled by libero Kevin Pina.
With normal time slipping away, Lisandro Martinez restored Argentina’s lead early in extra time, lashing a shot into the roof of the net after another delivery from a Messi corner. It appeared to be the moment that would finally settle a tense World Cup knockout tie, but Cape Verde had other ideas. Left back Sidny Lopes Cabral produced a moment of brilliance in the 103rd minute, cutting inside and curling a right-footed effort into the far corner to make it 2-2 and briefly put the tournament’s most talked-about upset back in play.
The decisive moment finally arrived six minutes into the second period of extra time. Messi swung a corner into a crowded box, and as Cristian Romero rose to meet it, the ball deflected in off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges for an own goal that broke the underdogs’ hearts. Even then, Cape Verde nearly forced a shootout, with goalkeeper-turned-hero Vozinha and a resilient backline testing Argentina’s nerve until the final whistle, while Emiliano Martinez was called upon for a pair of crucial late saves to preserve the lead.
Vozinha, the 40-year-old second-division goalkeeper who has become one of the breakout stars of this World Cup, denied Messi on several occasions throughout the match, including a save on a deflected free kick that helped push the game into extra time in the first place. His performance, paired with Cape Verde’s relentless effort, turned what many expected to be a formality into one of the standout storylines of this year’s World Cup.
For Argentina, the result means safe passage to the round of 16, where they will face Egypt in Atlanta next week. For Cape Verde, the tournament ends in heartbreak, but the team departs the World Cup with its reputation transformed after a run that included tough group-stage draws against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia before Friday’s dramatic near-miss against the sport’s biggest name.
Messi’s teammate Rodrigo De Paul spoke afterward about the bond within the squad that has carried Argentina through the tougher moments of this World Cup, describing the closeness among the players as something he considers himself fortunate to share. It’s that kind of resilience, mixed with individual brilliance from their captain, that has again kept Argentina’s World Cup dream alive — even if, this time, it took every minute of extra time to do it.
