World Cup holders Argentina survived a major scare as Cape Verde twice came from behind to force extra time before Cristian Romero's header sealed a 3-2 victory in Miami. The African minnows, who have been one of the tournament's standout stories, refused to go quietly and left their mark on the competition.
Messi Opens the Scoring
Lionel Messi put Argentina ahead with a brilliant opener in the first half, controlling a lofted pass from Lisandro Martinez before finishing with his next touch. The goal moved Messi ahead of Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot, as the Inter Miami star continued his pursuit of one of the few accolades to elude him.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, one of the stars of the World Cup, denied Messi shortly after the equaliser, blocking an effort from the Argentine's right foot to keep the game level going into the second hydration break.
Cape Verde Fight Back
Cape Verde equalised in the second half through Deroy Duarte, who fired home from a tight angle to silence the majority of the crowd. The goal sparked celebrations among the small contingent of fans from the island nation of just over 500,000 people.
Argentina thought they had won it when Lisandro Martinez scored from a corner in the opening minutes of extra time. But Cape Verde refused to read the script, and Sidny Lopes produced what will surely be the goal of the tournament, cutting in from the left and bending a strike into the far top corner. His celebration saw him climb into the stands to embrace a fan.
Romero Saves the Day
For Argentina, the third time was the charm. Cristian Romero headed home a Messi corner with less than ten minutes of extra time remaining, the defender's header deflecting past Vozinha to put the South Americans ahead for good.
The victory keeps alive Argentina's hopes of repeating as champions, as they advance to the quarter-finals. Earlier, Egypt had booked their spot in the last eight for the first time in their history after Mohamed Salah's audacious panenka helped them beat Australia on penalties.
