Argentina survives Cape Verde scare as Messi leads dramatic World Cup escape

Argentina needed every ounce of its championship pedigree to survive an unforgettable challenge from World Cup debutant Cape Verde, eventually prevailing 3-2 after extra time in a pulsating Round of 32 encounter.

The reigning champions appeared destined for an early exit as Cape Verde twice erased deficits to force extra time, but an unfortunate own goal in the 111th minute ultimately settled a captivating contest and sent Argentina into the Round of 16, where Egypt awaits in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Own goal ends heroic resistance

The decisive breakthrough came when Cristian Romero met a delivery with a powerful header that deflected off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges and into the net. The goal was officially ruled an own goal, ending the remarkable resistance of a side that had refused to yield against one of the tournament favorites.

Although the scoreline favored Argentina, the result scarcely reflected how fiercely Cape Verde competed until the closing moments of extra time.

Lionel Messi once again provided a moment of brilliance to ignite Argentina's attack.

In the 29th minute, Lisandro Martínez floated a perfectly weighted pass over the Cape Verde defense, allowing Messi to time his run to perfection. After controlling the ball with a deft touch, the captain unleashed a thunderous finish into the roof of the net beyond goalkeeper Vozinha to give Argentina a 1-0 advantage.

The strike marked Messi's record-extending 20th World Cup goal and further strengthened his remarkable tournament. He now has seven goals in this edition of the competition, moving one ahead of France's Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot. The goal also extended Messi's record scoring streak at the World Cup to eight consecutive matches, during which he has netted 12 times, while increasing his all-time World Cup scoring advantage over Mbappé to two goals.

Cape Verde refuses to fade

Rather than being overwhelmed by the defending champions, Cape Verde responded with remarkable resilience.

Sidny Lopes Cabral stunned the overwhelmingly pro-Argentina crowd in South Florida by drawing the island nation level, before Lisandro Martínez restored Argentina's lead with a goal in the 103rd minute of extra time.

Still, Cape Verde would not disappear.

Deroy Duarte produced another equalizer to reignite hopes of one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, forcing Argentina into a tense finish before the unfortunate own goal finally decided the contest.

Vozinha's heroics inspire historic campaign

Much of Cape Verde's extraordinary run was built on the brilliance of veteran goalkeeper Vozinha.

The 40-year-old produced 10 saves against Argentina, five of them denying Messi, adding another exceptional performance to a tournament that transformed Cape Verde into one of the competition's biggest success stories.

The tiny island nation, located off Africa's western coast, became the smallest country ever to reach the World Cup knockout stage after an inspired group campaign that featured impressive draws against Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia.

Although their dream ended in heartbreaking fashion, Cape Verde departed the tournament with their reputation dramatically enhanced after pushing the defending champions to the brink and delivering one of the World Cup's most memorable underdog performances.

Argentina, meanwhile, survived the scare and continues its title defense with a Round of 16 showdown against Egypt, knowing sterner tests may still lie ahead.