Argentina Survives Cape Verde Scare 3-2 in Extra Time as Messi, Cabral and a Borges Own Goal Steal the Show

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — For about 100 minutes, the Cape Verde story was the best thing at the World Cup. For about 120, it was the best game. Argentina survived. Barely. A 3-2 extra-time win over a team that had never played in this tournament before this summer sent the defending champions into the round of 16, and left the entire planet rooting for the losers.

On Friday at Hard Rock Stadium, in front of 64,478 fans, Lionel Messi scored his 20th World Cup goal, Lisandro Martínez hit a rocket in extra time, and Cape Verde defender Diney Borges deflected a Cristian Romero header into his own net in the 111th minute. It was a cruel ending to the best night of a small nation's football history.

Messi Makes It Look Easy, For a While

Argentina took a first-half lead the way you expect them to. In the 29th minute, Martínez sent a long ball forward, Messi took it down beautifully and finished high into the net. BBC Sport counted it as his 20th World Cup goal and his seventh of this tournament, and from the stands it looked like the first step of a routine win. Over the full match, Argentina held 63.6 percent of the ball and took 22 shots to Cape Verde's 16, per the BBC's match stats.

But the Blue Sharks, who are ranked 64th in the world, had other plans. They are the smallest nation ever to play in a World Cup knockout match, according to BBC Sport, and they had already held Spain to a 0-0 draw in their opener. They had no plans to be anybody's bit part.

Duarte Levels It

Cape Verde's moment arrived in the 59th minute. Ryan Mendes made the pass, and Deroy Duarte made the run into the box. He powered his finish through the legs of Lisandro Martínez from a tight angle and beyond the Argentina goalkeeper. In the stands, a number of Cape Verde supporters were crying tears of joy.

The score stayed locked at 1-1 through the end of 90 minutes, with the goalkeeper at the other end making stop after stop.

Vozinha, Forty Years Old and Unbeatable

The man between the posts for Cape Verde, Vozinha, is 40 years old and was the hero of the opener against Spain. On this night he went one better. According to BBC Sport, he made eight saves, including a one-on-one with Messi and a fingertip stop on a Messi free kick. Gary Neville said on ITV that Vozinha was going to get a good club off the back of this match. BBC readers agreed, voting him player of the match.

Argentina still had the chances. By expected goals, the numbers were lopsided: 2.15 for Argentina, 0.52 for Cape Verde. But the xG did not matter much to a team that needed one more finish.

Extra Time: Two Goals in 11 Minutes

Argentina did not wait long. Two minutes into extra time, Alexis Mac Allister flicked on a corner and Lisandro Martínez was there to pounce, hitting a powerful finish that beat Vozinha. At 2-1, it looked like order had been restored.

Then came the goal. In the 103rd minute, left back Sidny Lopes Cabral cut inside on the left of the box and whipped a curling strike over Emiliano Martínez into the top corner. BBC Sport called it one of the World Cup's great goals, and ESPN's commentary said it might be the greatest goal in Cape Verdean football history. It was later voted the tournament's best goal, according to ESPN and The Athletic. One post on the BBC's live page put it more bluntly: Messi may be the greatest ever, but he will never score a World Cup goal as good as that one.

It was the kind of strike that rewrites a country's football memory, and for a few minutes it looked like it might force penalties.

The Own Goal

The winner, when it came, was almost cruel in how ordinary it was. In the 111th minute a corner led to a Cristian Romero header that deflected in off Borges and into the far corner, and it was credited as an own goal. There was more relief than happiness on the faces of Argentine fans in the stands, per BBC Sport. Cabral then forced a stunning save from Emiliano Martínez four minutes from the end of extra time, but Cape Verde could not draw level a third time. Cape Verde was out.

Messi and other Argentina players were among those consoling their opponents at the final whistle. That image will last longer than the score.

What It Means

Argentina moves on to face Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday, July 7, and it does so as the holders who were almost sent home by a tournament debutant. The champions will tell you there is no such thing as an ugly win in the knockout round. ESPN noted that Argentina had not been pushed that close since the 2022 World Cup final against France.

For Cape Verde, there is pride and a ledger worth reading. The BBC pointed out that, at the end of 90 minutes, Cape Verde had not lost a single match in the tournament. They drew with Spain, held Argentina to extra time, and gave the whole competition a gust of fresh air.

The Close

Football's hardest rule is that you do not get paid for being brave. Cape Verde discovered that on a deflection, in the 111th minute, in front of 64,478 people. But the lasting image of this match will not be the own goal. It will be a left back wheeling away after the goal of his life, and a defending champion, a bit shaken, trying to take it all in.

Photo Credit: Oliver Figueroa-Celi/Undrafted