After a thrilling 3-2 victory in overtime against Cape Verde at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, Lionel Messi acknowledged that Argentina has significant areas for improvement. Despite the win, Messi highlighted the team’s shortcomings during their last-32 match.
In his post-match comments, Messi emphasized, “As I always say, today we made a huge effort, both good and bad.” He added, “The key now is to rest, reflect on what lies ahead, and take the positives from today’s game. While we did manage some commendable plays, it’s crucial to address our mistakes, and that was evident tonight.”
Argentina’s Hard-Fought Victory
Messi opened the scoring with an impressive goal, yet Cape Verde responded with resilience, pushing the match into extra time. Argentina briefly took the lead again, but Sidney López Cabral, a strong contender for the tournament’s standout player, equalized for the island nation.
The decisive moment came when Cristian Romero’s header was turned into his own goal by Cape Verde’s Dinny Borges, sealing Argentina’s progress to the last 16 of the World Cup for the sixth consecutive time.
Cape Verde Makes History
With this match, Cape Verde etched its name in World Cup history as the smallest nation to reach the knockout stages in the tournament’s history. With a population of only 525,000, Cape Verde is smaller than all 50 U.S. states, with Wyoming being its closest neighbor at approximately 576,000 residents.
Messi Praises the Competitiveness of Cape Verde
Messi noted how challenging Cape Verde proved to be throughout the match, commending the team ranked 67th in the world. “We anticipated a tough contest. There’s no reason this team should have lost to Spain or Uruguay,” he remarked. “Finding the opening goal was our biggest challenge. We thought our game would flow better afterward, but unfortunately, the opposite happened. We lost possession, struggled to apply pressure, and faced relentless attacks. We understood the difficulty of this knockout tournament, where nothing is handed to you.”
Scaloni’s Insights Post-Match
Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, shared his thoughts during a post-match press conference, indicating his intention to discuss areas for improvement directly with his players rather than addressing the media. “There are no easy opponents in this tournament. Congratulations to Cape Verde,” Scaloni stated. “We’ll focus on the negatives with our players, but we must also recognize the positives of our perseverance.”
Setting Records and Looking Ahead
This victory marked Argentina’s 11th consecutive win, establishing a new record for the team. Messi also achieved a remarkable milestone, scoring 20 points in the first half—a record in Men’s World Cup history. Additionally, he surpassed the previous record for points scored in eight consecutive World Cup matches, leading Kylian Mbappe by two points. The Argentina captain has netted 12 goals in his last eight World Cup outings.
As of now, Messi is in the lead for this year’s World Cup Golden Boot race with seven goals, outpacing Mbappe by one. Argentina’s journey continues as they prepare to face Egypt in the round of 16 on July 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
