Argentina vs Cabo Verde FIFA World Cup 2026: Defending Champions Argentina Survive Extraordinary Cabo Verde Scare in 3-2 Extra-Time Epic

By Samira Vishwas On Jul 4, 2026

Argentina vs Cabo Verde FIFA World Cup 2026: Defending champions Argentina survived one of the biggest scares in modern tournament history, squeezing past a very brave Cabo Verde side 3-2 after extra time on July 3. The thrilling Round of 32 showdown under the Miami lights is sure to be a game for the football record books. The debutants, the Blue Sharks, twice came from behind to take the reigning champions to the very brink.

Lionel Messi Ignites Opener

The stadium caught fire in the 29th minute with the return of Argentina’s talisman, Lionel Messi. Messi latched onto a perfectly-weighted over-the-top pass from Lisandro Martinez and brought it down beautifully with his first touch before unleashing a clinical finish into the roof of the net. His seventh goal of the campaign moved him to the top of the Golden Boot race in the tournament. Cabo Verde maintained their wide positioning even after they went behind. The African nation kept creating threats on the counter and their 40-year-old keeper Vozinha produced a string of heroic saves. Their persistence paid off in the 58th minute when Deroy Duarte seized on a hole left by Enzo Fernandez and struck a fully deserved equaliser beyond Emiliano Martinez.

Madness in Extra Time & A Cruel Twist

The regulation finished 1-1 and a breathless extra period was played. Argentina were quick to reassert themselves with Lisandro Martinez tucking away a loose ball to restore the advantage in the 91st minute. But ten minutes later the Blue Sharks responded in spectacular fashion. Then, in the 102nd minute, Sidny Lopes Cabral unleashed a thunderous long-range rocket that dipped and flew into the net to send the stadium into pure pandemonium. Eventually, it was Argentina’s pedigree as champions and a cruel twist of fate that broke the deadlock. Cristian Romero’s thundering header in the 111th minute took a deflection off Cabo Verde defender Diney Borges, which trickled past Vozinha for an agonising goal. In a last-ditch desperate attempt, Cabo Verde threw everything forward. Emiliano Martinez was forced into a world-class save at full stretch to tip a Cabral free-kick wide, before throwing himself on the line to smother a loose ball in the dying seconds of stoppage time. Argentina march into the Round of 16 to face Egypt, but the Blue Sharks exit the tournament with heads high having earned the permanent respect of the global footballing community.

Debayan Bhattacharya

Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.

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