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Argentina defeated Cape Verde with a score of 3-2 in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup this Friday at the , in a match that went into extra time and was decided by an own goal.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a clean shot to make it 1-0.
Cabo Verde equalized in the 59th minute through D. Duarte, which forced Argentina to respond.
The Argentine coach made changes in the 63rd and 64th minutes: Lautaro Martínez and Thiago Almada went out, and Julián Álvarez and Nico González came on.
Argentina regained the lead in the 92nd minute, during added time in the second half, thanks to a goal by Lisandro Martínez, making it 2-1.
The dream of Cape Verde stayed alive: in the 103rd minute of extra time, S. Lopes Cabral equalized again to make it 2-2, keeping the stadium on edge.
The definitive answer came in the 111th minute, but in the most unexpected way: an own goal by D. Borges sealed the final score of 3-2 in favor of the Albiceleste.
The match concluded with a yellow card for Gonzalo Montiel in the 115th minute, the second of the game after K. Lenini (Cape Verde) received one in the 68th minute.
Regarding the statistics, Argentina clearly dominated: 64% possession compared to 36% for the islanders, 22 shots (10 on target) against 13 (five on target), and eight corners to seven.
Cabo Verde entered the match as the tournament's great revelation: the island team completed the group stage undefeated with three draws against Spain (0-0), Uruguay (2-2), and Saudi Arabia (0-0), becoming the first debutant to not lose any matches in that stage of a World Cup.
Argentina, on the other hand, arrived as the leader of Group J with nine points and a perfect record (3-0 against Algeria, 2-0 against Austria, 3-1 against Jordan) and a goal difference of +7.
With this victory, the Albiceleste advances to the round of 16, where they will face Egypt, which eliminated Australia in a penalty shootout, while Cape Verde is eliminated from the tournament in their first World Cup appearance.
"A defeat can sometimes be a strange form of triumph. Cape Verde exited the World Cup as a great team," wrote the Mexican chronicler Juan Villoro, summarizing what many consider an extraordinary achievement in this football event.
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