- Argentina defeated Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time.
- Lionel Messi scored opener, his seventh tournament goal.
- Cape Verde players captured post-match photos with Lionel Messi.
Messi Takes Pictures With Cape Verde Players: Cape Verde may have fallen just short of a famous FIFA World Cup 2026 upset, but the tournament debutants earned admiration with a spirited display against Argentina before sharing a memorable post-match moment with Lionel Messi. They pushed the reigning world champions all the way in their Round of 32 clash, taking the contest into extra time before eventually suffering a narrow 3-2 defeat. After the final whistle, however, the competitive edge gave way to admiration as several Cape Verde players waited patiently to capture a special memory with the Argentine captain.
Messi finishes answering the journalists’ questions, and then the Cape Verde players come over to ask him for a photo in the mixed zone. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Y6ck9VX3tv
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) July 4, 2026
Videos from the stadium showed Messi surrounded by Cape Verde’s players once he had completed his media interviews.
One after another, they posed for photographs with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, creating a heartwarming scene that quickly caught the attention of football fans on social media.
Messi Delivers Again As Argentina Survive Scare
Although Cape Verde impressed throughout the contest, Messi once again proved to be Argentina’s driving force when it mattered most.
The veteran forward opened the scoring with an excellent first touch before finishing from a tight angle to register his seventh goal of the tournament.
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He also played an influential role from set-piece situations as Argentina found two more goals to edge past determined opponents and secure their place in the Round of 16.
The performance also reinforced how heavily Lionel Scaloni’s side continue to rely on their captain.
Argentina struggled to generate attacking momentum without Messi, with many of their most dangerous moves flowing through the No. 10. Whether from open play, free-kicks or corners, the team repeatedly looked to him for inspiration.
Cape Verde, meanwhile, earned widespread praise for their resilient display.
Their disciplined defensive structure frustrated the world champions for long spells, while goalkeeper Vozinha produced another outstanding performance to deny Messi on multiple occasions and keep Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez largely quiet.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
