Argentina survive Cape Verde scare to reach World Cup last 16

Argentina scraped into the Round of 16 after edging past a spirited Cape Verde side 3-2 in extra time, with the defending champions needing an own goal in the 111th minute to end one of the biggest underdog stories of the FIFA World Cup.

Cape Verde, who had already stunned observers by holding Spain and Uruguay to draws in the group stage, entered the Round of 32 clash as overwhelming underdogs. But the African nation once again defied expectations, matching Argentina stride for stride for nearly two hours before cruelly bowing out.

The decisive moment came when defender Diney Borges inadvertently turned the ball into his own net in the 111th minute, sending Argentina through after a contest that repeatedly threatened to produce one of the greatest World Cup upsets.

Twice during the match, Cape Verde fought back from a goal down, leaving Lionel Messi and his teammates struggling to break down a side that refused to surrender.

Messi played a decisive role in Argentina’s victory, scoring once and providing an assist from a corner, but even the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was repeatedly denied by Cape Verde captain and goalkeeper Vozinha, who delivered one of the tournament’s standout goalkeeping displays.

The veteran goalkeeper thwarted Messi on several occasions, first racing off his line in the 63rd minute to block a close-range effort before producing a brilliant fingertip save to push away a curling free-kick 10 minutes later. He followed that with another save from a Messi set-piece deep into stoppage time and then dived low in extra time to deny the Argentine captain once again.

How the goals unfolded

Messi opened the scoring after brilliantly controlling Lisandro Martínez’s pass with the outside of his boot before delicately lifting the ball over Vozinha to give Argentina the lead.

Cape Verde responded in the 59th minute through DeRoy Duarte to level the scores.

Argentina regained the advantage early in extra time when Lisandro Martínez found the net, but Cape Verde refused to go away. Lopes Cabral produced one of the goals of the tournament, cutting inside before curling a stunning effort into the top corner to make it 2-2.

With penalties looming, Borges’ unfortunate own goal proved decisive, ending Cape Verde’s remarkable resistance and sending Argentina into the last 16.

Cape Verde’s unforgettable World Cup

Although their fairytale ended in heartbreak, Cape Verde emerged as one of the tournament’s biggest success stories.

Their campaign began with a goalless draw against Spain, followed by another resilient draw against Uruguay, results that secured an unlikely place in the knockout rounds.

Vozinha, 40, became one of the tournament’s standout performers, and his inspiring displays even prompted fans to help bring his mother to the United States so she could watch her son’s historic World Cup campaign in person.

The smallest nation by land area ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup, with a population barely one per cent of Argentina’s, leaves the tournament with more than the prize money awarded for reaching the Round of 32. Cape Verde’s fearless performances earned worldwide admiration and established the island nation as one of the competition’s most memorable teams.