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World Cup 2026: Argentina's Successes and Failures in Hard-Fought Qualification Against Cape Verde
🇬🇹 Guatemala /Sports

World Cup 2026: Argentina's Successes and Failures in Hard-Fought Qualification Against Cape Verde

From Prensa Libre · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Argentina advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup after a hard-fought 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde.
  • Lionel Messi scored his seventh World Cup goal, and set up another, while set pieces proved crucial, including a late own goal that secured the win.
  • Despite the victory, Argentina showed defensive vulnerabilities and transition issues, which will need addressing before their next match against Egypt.

Argentina secured their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, narrowly defeating Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time in a match that highlighted both Lionel Messi's enduring brilliance and lingering concerns for the team.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute with his seventh goal of the tournament and 20th World Cup goal overall, extending his record as the all-time leading scorer. Beyond his goal, Messi was instrumental in generating offensive plays and creating dangerous opportunities for the Albiceleste.

Set pieces once again proved to be a significant strength for Argentina. Lisandro Martínez scored the go-ahead goal from a corner kick in the 92nd minute. The decisive goal came in the 111th minute when Messi's free-kick was deflected by Cape Verde's Diney Borges into his own net, securing Argentina's progression.

However, the match revealed areas needing improvement. Argentina displayed moments of lapsed intensity, allowing Cape Verde, a debutant team, to gain momentum. Deroy Duarte equalized for Cape Verde in the 59th minute after exploiting defensive lapses. The team also struggled with transitions, as Cape Verde's speed threatened the Argentine defense during extra time, leading to their second equalizer in the 103rd minute from Sidny Lopes Cabral.

Argentina will face Egypt on July 7th, needing to address these defensive and transitional weaknesses to advance further in the tournament.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Prensa Libre in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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