Cape Verde's fairytale story ends as Argentina survive Extra Time scare in all time World Cup Game on day five of the Round of 32

Another 3 Round of 32 games took place on Friday as 6 teams fought for the final 3 spots in the Round of 16. The middle of these 3 games saw Group J winners Argentina face off against this World Cup’s Cinderella story, Group H runners-up Cape Verde. 

Lionel Scaloni made 9 changes to the starting XI that began the 3-1 win over Jordan in their final group-stage game. Only Lautaro Martínez and Emi Martínez kept their places in the starting lineup after Scaloni opted to rest his starters in the Jordan game. Lionel Messi was back in the starting XI and looking to take the lead back in the Golden Boot race. 

Bubista made 5 changes to the starting XI that drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia in their final group-stage game. Wagner Pina, João Paulo, Jamiro Monteiro, Willy Semedo, and Dailon Rocha Livramento all came out of the lineup and were replaced by Sidny Lopes Cabral, Steven Moreira, Laros Duarte, Jovane Cabral, and Nuno Da Costa.

General view inside the stadium before the match

Marco Bello

World Cup Round of 32 - Argentina vs Cape Verde

Cape Verde had the opening chance of the game from either side when Ryan Mendes worked his way into the box, but the shot was blocked and easily dealt with. Lionel Messi broke through into the box 15 minutes into the game, but the greatest of all time pulled his shot wide of the far post. 

Messi then had the first shot on target of the game when he won a free kick 30 yards out, but his free kick was easily saved by Vozinha in the Cape Verde goal. Right out of the hydration break, Argentina found their breakthrough, and it could only be one special, special man to do it. 

After a brilliant over-the-top through ball by Lisandro Martinez to Lionel Messi, who killed the ball dead with the outside of his left foot and then lifted the ball over Vozinha into the roof of the net for his 7th of the competition and 20th World Cup goal of his career. 

Enzo Fernández had a shot from just outside the box on the stroke of halftime, but it was well saved by Vozinha, and Cape Verde were pretty comfortable dealing with Argentina and keeping them quiet for most of the first half, aside from Messi's brilliant goal. 

Argentina's Lionel Messi scores their first goal

Amanda Perobelli

Cape Verde started the 2nd half really well, having a flurry of corners early on, and then Deroy Duarte tested the hands of Emi Martínez when his shot from just outside the box took a slight deflection and almost wrong-footed the Argentinian shotstopper. 

On the stroke of the hour mark, one of the biggest moments in World Cup history occurred when Ryan Mendes played Deroy Duarte through and the Cape Verde midfielder, at the front post, slotted the ball into the far corner and past Emi Martínez to draw level with Argentina. 

Lionel Messi got played through once again after a Lautaro Martínez through ball, but the Argentinian legend couldn’t get the ball past Vozinha and the scoreline stayed level at 1-1. Messi, with 15 minutes left on the clock, looked like he’d broken Cape Verde hearts when he hit a free kick destined for the top corner, but Vozinha recovered brilliantly and somehow clawed it out from going in. 

Cape Verde were defending everything that Argentina was throwing at them, with Pico Lopes making some vital blocks on dangerous balls into the box, and then Alexis Mac Allister’s volley was deflected over the crossbar. They even survived a penalty scare when the ball hit Pico Lopes on the arm in the box, but it initially came off his head, and the Argentinian penalty claims were waved away. 

Vozinha did great in stoppage time from a Lionel Messi free kick when the free kick took a slight deflection off a Cape Verde defender and forced the Cape Verde goalkeeper into a difficult reaction save. 

Cape Verde survived the final few minutes of the 90 minutes, and their Cinderella story gets at least another chapter with them taking on the defending world champions in extra time. 

Cape Verde's Sidny Lopes Cabral celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates

Amanda Perobelli

Unfortunately for Cape Verde, Argentina only needs two minutes of extra time to break the tie between the two sides when a flick on at the front post by Alexis Mac Allister from a Lionel Messi corner falls to Lisandro Martinez, and the center back smashes the ball home into the roof of the net at the front post. 2-1 Argentina and Cape Verde have just under 30 minutes to keep their Cinderella story going. 

I thought the moment of the tournament had already been when Cape Verde equalized in regular time, but with just a minute left in the first half of extra time, Cape Verde drew level again against the defending world champions, and it’s easily the goal of the tournament. Sidny Cabral takes the ball down out on the wing and unleashed an unbelievable strike into the far top corner, words cannot describe how good this goal was, and the entire world was stunned and speechless. 2-2, 15 minutes left in this all-time World Cup game. 

In stoppage time of the first half of extra time, Lionel Messi had a shot from just outside the box, but it was well saved by Vozinha again, and Montiel’s rebound effort was blocked to keep the scoreline 2-2. 

5 minutes into the 2nd half of extra time, Argentina found themselves in front for the 3rd time in this game as Messi delivered a ball into the box that Cristian Romero headed onto the hand of Diney Borges, and it nestled into the back of the net for an own goal. 10 or so minutes left for Cape Verde to pull off one final legendary moment and keep their dream alive. 

Argentina's Cristian Romero celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates

Marco Bello

Emiliano Martínez produced a brilliant stop from a Sidny Cabral free kick to keep his nation in the lead with just 5 minutes left on the clock. Cape Verde went close with 2 minutes on the clock when a header dropped in front of Emi Martínez, and the Cape Verde attacker just couldn’t reach it, and it went behind for a corner. 

Argentina survived the final three minutes of stoppage time in extra time, and the final whistle went, the final words written in this fairytale run for Cape Verde at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, one that will go down in history and be talked about from generation to generation, not only in Cape Verde but worldwide. 

For Argentina, it means they survive the biggest scare they’ve had in a long, long time and book themselves a Round of 16 tie with Egypt. Lionel Messi’s final-ever World Cup goes on, and so does the defending champion.

Day 1 of the Round of 16

Saturday kicks off the Round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup, and the first game of the day sees co-hosts Canada take on 2022 semi-finalists Morocco, and then the final game of the day sees Paraguay, coming off their giant-killing of Germany, take on France, who are looking to mend the heartbreak of the 2022 final.