Argentina scrapes into World Cup Round of 16 after dramatic extra-time win

Argentina, the reigning world champions, narrowly avoided an early exit from the 2026 World Cup, securing their place in the Round of 16 with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Cape Verde in extra time. The match was a tense affair, highlighting the unpredictable nature of this tournament.

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This team never gives up, and that is much more important than other things.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring for Argentina, but Cape Verde equalized through Deroy Duarte, forcing the match into extra time. Lisandro Martínez then put Argentina ahead again with a goal in extra time, only for Sidny Lopes to score an impressive equalizer for Cape Verde. The decisive goal came in the 111th minute from a Cristian 'Cuti' Romero header following a corner by Lionel Messi, which ultimately resulted in an own goal by Diney Borges.

"It was never going to be easy. This is what makes this World Cup special, everything is very even. All matches will be very difficult," Messi commented after the grueling match. His sentiment was echoed by coach Lionel Scaloni, who remarked, "This team never gives up, and that is much more important than other things."

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It was never going to be easy. This is what makes this World Cup special, everything is very even. All matches will be very difficult.

Argentina will now face Mohamed Salah's Egypt in the next round. Egypt secured their passage by defeating Australia in a penalty shootout after their Round of 32 match ended 1-1. Salah expressed his joy, stating, "I said it was the match of a lifetime. I am happy to have written history." This marks Egypt's first-ever win in a World Cup knockout stage.

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I said it was the match of a lifetime. I am happy to have written history.

Elsewhere, Colombia also advanced to the Round of 16, defeating Ghana 1-0 thanks to a goal from John Arias. They are set to play Switzerland. France, considered a formidable contender, will face Paraguay, who eliminated Germany in the previous round. French coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged Paraguay's strength, while Paraguayan coach Gustavo Alfaro described France's attack as "an electric storm."

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The guys really played a great game.