Argentina survived a huge scare to beat Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time, ending the Blue Sharks’ dream run and booking a place in the World Cup last 16.
Lionel Messi scored his 20th World Cup goal and his seventh of this tournament in four matches with a brilliant first touch and finish to put the defending champions ahead. But Cape Verde refused to give up.
Deroy Duarte struck just after the hour to make it 1-1, forcing Argentina to work much harder than expected in the draining Miami heat.
Lisandro Martinez put Argentina back in front early in extra time. But Sidny Lopes Cabral fired a stunning shot into the top corner to level again.
Argentina finally found the winner from a corner. Cristian Romero rose to meet Messi’s delivery, with the ball going in after a deflection off Diney Borges for an own goal.
Argentina will face Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday, but Lionel Scaloni will still have concerns after his 100th game in charge despite what looks like a kind draw.
Cape Verde had already shown what they could do by drawing with Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H to reach the knockout stage in their first World Cup.
Before the game, Blue Sharks coach Bubista called the clash with Messi and the world champions “the game of our lives”, and his side backed that up by pushing Argentina for more than 120 minutes.
Back in the city where he plays for Inter Miami, Messi was cheered by almost 65,000 fans wearing sky blue and white.
The 39-year-old opened the scoring with a superb finish from Lisandro Martinez’s pass. The goal also stretched his record to eight straight World Cup matches with a goal and moved him two clear of France’s Kylian Mbappe in the race to become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
Emi Martinez was quiet before halftime but made a fine save from Duarte after the break. He could do nothing moments later as Ryan Mendes set up Duarte to fire low into the far corner.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who became an internet sensation after his man-of-the-match display against Spain last month, denied Messi in a one-on-one. Irish-born Pico Lopes then blocked Enzo Fernandez after another Messi opening.
Lisandro Martinez’s extra-time strike looked set to decide the game, but Lopes Cabral answered with one of the goals of the tournament before celebrating with his partner in the stands.
As penalties loomed, Scaloni could only breathe easier when Borges turned Messi’s corner into his own net. Argentina still had to survive a late Cape Verde attack, with Emi Martinez producing one last save to tip Lopes Cabral’s powerful effort over the bar.
