Cape Verde put up fierce resistance, as Argentina struggled hard to secure their ticket for the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina must bring every ounce of their capability to secure their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16. The reigning world champions were pushed to their limits before finally overcoming Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in their Round of 32 match held in Miami, early Saturday WIB.

This result proves that Argentina's knockout stage journey will not come easily. Cape Verde played without fear, repeatedly putting Lionel Messi and his teammates under pressure before finally accepting the Albiceleste's superiority after 120 full minutes of play.

Argentina took attacking initiative right from the start of the match. This effort paid off when Lionel Messi broke the deadlock to put the Albiceleste 1-0 ahead.

However, Cape Verde did not surrender easily. The African nation maintained disciplined defensive structure while also daring to launch attacks whenever opportunities arose.

Their perseverance finally bore fruit when Deroy Duarte scored the equaliser. From tight space inside the penalty box, he fired a low driven shot that Emiliano Martinez failed to anticipate, bringing the score to 1-1.

The draw held until the end of regular time, forcing the match to proceed into extra time.

Argentina retook the lead shortly after extra time commenced. Starting from a corner situation, Lisandro Martinez pounced on a loose ball before unleashing a powerful strike towards goal. The ball flew at full speed and could not be stopped by goalkeeper Vozinha.

Just as Argentina appeared to be on course for victory, Cape Verde delivered another surprise. Sidny Lopes Cabral scored a spectacular long-range goal into the left corner of Emiliano Martinez's net, bringing the score level once again at 2-2.

The drama continued into the second half of extra time. In the 111th minute, Argentina finally regained the lead from a dead ball situation. Lionel Messi's corner delivery was headed by Cristian Romero, changing the score to 3-2.

Although initially credited to Romero, this goal was later officially ruled as an own goal by Diney Borges.

Cape Verde still refused to give up. In the 115th minute, Cabral's free kick was sent towards Argentina's goal, only for Emiliano Martinez to pull off a brilliant critical save.

Four minutes later, Cape Verde created another chaotic scramble right in front of the Albiceleste goal. Nevertheless, Argentina's defensive line held strong until the final whistle was blown.

This dramatic 3-2 victory officially secures Argentina's place in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16.