Argentina moves to the next stage after a hard fight with a resilient Cape Verde

Photo Credit: Juano Tesone

Who else but Leo Messi to open the scoring? The Argentine superstar struck in the 29th minute, adding yet another goal to his remarkable collection. Cape Verde responded through Deroy Duarte, who leveled the score at 1-1 with an equalizer in the 59th minute, proving that La Albiceleste would have no easy walk in the park.

Argentina regained the lead deep into stoppage time, as Lautaro Martínez found the net in the 92nd minute to make it 2-1. But Cape Verde refused to fold, and Sidney López Cabral restored parity yet again in the 103rd minute, tying the match at 2-2.

The decisive moment arrived soon after, when defender Diney Borges turned the ball into his own net, handing Argentina a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish.

What a match for everyone! Both Argentina and Cape Verde delivered a wondrous, entertaining contest from start to finish, with both sides fighting for every goal. In the end, hats off to both teams — each played their part in a truly one-of-a-kind match.