Argentina booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in a thrilling Round of 32 encounter at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
The victory sets up a highly anticipated Round of 16 showdown between Argentina and Egypt.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute, finishing confidently after being played through by a perfectly weighted long pass to give the defending champions the lead.
Cape Verde responded in the second half through Deroy Duarte, who equalized in the 59th minute to send the match into extra time after the teams finished regulation level at 1-1.
Argentina regained the advantage just two minutes into extra time when Lisandro Martínez found the back of the net in the 92nd minute. However, Cape Verde refused to give in, with Sidney Cabral restoring parity in the 103rd minute to keep his side's hopes alive.
Cristian Romero eventually secured Argentina's place in the next round, scoring the decisive goal in the 111th minute to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Argentina will now face Egypt in the Round of 16 after the Pharaohs made history by eliminating Australia on penalties to reach the knockout stage for the first time in FIFA World Cup history.
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