Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde (AET) — World Cup Round of 32, July 3, 2026

59' — Deroy Duarte (1-1): Cape Verde's equalizer came on the hour mark. Duarte collected a pass from Ryan Mendes and fired a low finish through Martínez's legs and beyond goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, stunning the Argentine crowd and forcing the game into extra time .

92' — Lisandro Martínez (2-1): Argentina regained the lead early in extra time through a powerful shot from a tight angle, restoring the champions' advantage .

103' — Sidny Lopes Cabral (2-2): Cape Verde answered back with what many described as one of the best goals of the tournament. The defender unleashed a curling missile from the edge of the area that rocketed into the top corner, leveling the score once again .

111' — Diney Borges own goal (3-2): The decisive moment came from a Messi corner kick. Cristian Romero rose for a header, and Cape Verde's Diney Borges, challenging for the ball, inadvertently deflected it into his own net, sending Argentina through to the Round of 16 .

Messi's History

Messi's 29th-minute goal was his 20th career World Cup goal, extending his record as the all-time leading scorer in men's World Cup history . The goal also meant Messi has now scored in 8 consecutive World Cup matches dating back to 2022, a streak during which he has scored 12 goals .

With that goal, Messi moved to 7 goals for the 2026 tournament, placing him atop the Golden Boot race. Kylian Mbappé later drew level with a goal against Paraguay in the Round of 16 on July 4 . The race between the two superstars became one of the tournament's defining narratives .

Messi has never won the Golden Boot in his career, having finished second with seven goals — one behind Mbappé — while leading Argentina to the 2022 trophy in Qatar. In 2026, with seven goals through the Round of 32 and Round of 16, he remained in contention for the award .

Cape Verde's Historic Campaign

Cape Verde — a nation of roughly 530,000 people and the third-smallest country ever to compete in a men's World Cup — was making its debut tournament appearance in 2026. The Blue Sharks had already made history by advancing from the group stage, becoming the smallest nation ever to reach the knockout rounds .

Their campaign included an unbeaten group stage where they held European champions Spain to a draw, and Kevin Pina scored Cape Verde's first ever World Cup goal against Uruguay .

Vozinha, Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper, delivered a standout performance that earned him praise as a national hero. He made eight saves in the match, including several point-blank stops against Messi alone, keeping his side alive and nearly engineering the biggest upset in World Cup history .

The match was described by multiple outlets as an instant classic, with Cape Verde coming remarkably close to forcing Argentina into a penalty shootout .

What Comes Next

Argentina's next match: Round of 16 against Egypt on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. ET .

Messi is pursuing a second consecutive World Cup title, having led Argentina to the 2022 trophy in Qatar. Argentina entered the 2026 tournament as defending champions and one of the favorites to lift the trophy again .

Matchday 23 (July 3) — Other Round of 32 Results

The same day featured two other knockout matches at the 2026 World Cup :

• Australia 1-1 Egypt (2-4 pens) — Egypt advanced on penalties at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
• Colombia 1-0 Ghana — Colombia defeated Ghana at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Key Performances

Beyond Messi's goal and Vozinha's heroics, several other players stood out. Lisandro Martínez scored a crucial extra-time goal for Argentina. Cristian Romero's header from a Messi set piece created the decisive own goal. For Cape Verde, Deroy Duarte and Sidny Lopes Cabral both scored memorable equalizers, with Cabral's curling effort from a seemingly impossible angle being widely described as a contender for goal of the tournament .