Miami: Argentina captain Lionel Messi continued his record-breaking run at the FIFA World Cup, becoming the tournament’s all-time leading assist provider as the defending champions defeated Cabo Verde 3-2 after extra time in a thrilling Round of 32 encounter.
Messi registered his ninth FIFA World Cup assist, surpassing the previous record of eight set by Argentina legend Diego Maradona. The 39-year-old also became the first player to score in eight consecutive FIFA World Cup matches, further extending his remarkable legacy on football’s biggest stage.
The Argentine skipper opened the scoring in the 29th minute after controlling a diagonal pass from Lisandro Martinez before rifling the ball into the roof of the net. The strike took his overall FIFA World Cup tally to 20 goals and made him the first player to score seven goals in two different World Cup editions, having achieved the feat during Argentina’s triumphant 2022 campaign and again at the ongoing 2026 tournament.
Making their first-ever appearance in the World Cup knockout stage, Cabo Verde produced a spirited display and equalised just before the hour mark when Ryan Mendes set up Deroy Duarte, who scored the country’s maiden goal in a FIFA World Cup knockout match.
Argentina created several chances to restore their lead but were repeatedly denied by veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, whose impressive saves forced the contest into extra time.
The South American side regained the advantage early in extra time as Lisandro Martinez converted from close range following a corner. However, Cabo Verde responded once again, with Sidny Lopes Cabral curling in an excellent effort to level the score at 2-2.
The decisive moment came in the second period of extra time when Messi delivered a dangerous corner that was met by Cristian Romero. His powerful header took a slight deflection off Diney Borges before finding the back of the net, sealing Argentina’s place in the Round of 16.
Cabo Verde came close to forcing a penalty shootout in the closing moments, but Emiliano Martinez produced a crucial save to keep out Lopes Cabral’s powerful free-kick and preserve Argentina’s victory.
With the win, Argentina advanced to the Round of 16, where they will take on Egypt. Although Cabo Verde bowed out of the tournament, the African nation earned widespread praise for an impressive FIFA World Cup debut, pushing the reigning champions to extra time.
Messi’s latest performance added yet another milestone to his illustrious career, reinforcing his status as one of the greatest players in FIFA World Cup history while keeping Argentina’s title defence firmly on course.
