Following Argentina’s 3-2 win against Cape Verde in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32, captain Lionel Messi praised his opponents. He stated that the struggle was expected, noting that Cape Verde’s ability to remain undefeated against heavyweights like Spain and Uruguay proved their quality.
Messi admitted that despite securing the opening goal, his team struggled to dictate the pace as intended. Argentina lost composure at times, dropping too deep and failing to pressure the opposition, which invited Cape Verde to capitalize and score. Messi emphasized that knockout stages are always demanding and no victory comes without significant effort.
Individually, Messi contributed the match’s opening goal, bringing his tournament tally to seven and his career total to 20, despite several key saves from goalkeeper Vozinha. Argentina remains undefeated and will face Egypt in the Round of 16 on July 7 at Atlanta Stadium.
