Argentina survived the scare of their lives against fearless Cabo Verde in the round of 32

It took every ounce of the Argentine champions’ pedigree, three goals, 120 bruising minutes and a dash of luck to finally bring Cabo Verde’s extraordinary FIFA World Cup fairytale to an end. The tournament debutants twice dragged the defending champions back into contention and refused to give up until Lionel Scaloni’s side escaped with a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory in one of the tournament’s games.

Extending his record 30th appearance at the World Cup, Lionel Messi looked set to write the next chapter in his storied international career after giving Argentina the lead with his 20th goal at the global finals. But the spotlight soon shifted to the fearless underdogs. Cabo Verde absorbed wave after wave of Argentine pressure before striking with ruthless efficiency through Deroy Duarte and Laros Cabral, twice erasing deficits and leaving the world champions staring at an unthinkable exit. In the end, it took the Cabo Verde defender’s cruel deflection off a Cristiano Romero header in extra-time to settle a pulsating contest and book Argentina a date with Egypt under-16s.

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Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

04 Jul 2026 06:40 IST