World Cup's wildest match: Argentina trembles until the last second against Cape Verde, dramatically qualifying for the Round of 16

Defending champions Argentina survived a major scare, narrowly beating debutants Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in a thrilling World Cup Round of 16 encounter.

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Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute. The Argentinian star took advantage of a superb pass from Lisandro Martinez, who sent it over the entire opposing defense, and beat Vozinha with an elegant left-footed finish.

The match, considered one of the tournament's most spectacular, saw Argentina pushed to the brink of elimination. Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute with his 20th World Cup goal, a historic milestone, and marked his 30th appearance in the tournament. However, Cape Verde equalized in the 59th minute through Deroy Duarte, leveling the score and increasing the pressure on the favorites.

Despite Messi missing a golden opportunity to regain the lead, the match went into extra time. Lisandro Martinez put Argentina ahead again with a spectacular shot early in the first half of extra time. Cape Verde, however, showed remarkable resilience, with Lopes Cabral scoring a stunning goal to equalize once more in the 103rd minute.

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Surprise came in the 59th minute when Deroy Duarte, the midfielder from Ludogorets, equalized after a pass from Ryan Mendes, with a well-placed shot into the far corner.

The decisive moment came in the 111th minute when Cristian Romero's header deflected off Cape Verde's Diney into the net for an own goal, securing Argentina's passage. Cape Verde pressed for a late equalizer, but goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made crucial saves to preserve the victory.

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Argentina decided the match in extra time. At the beginning of the first extra-time period, Lisandro Martinez, the Manchester United defender, brought Argentina back into the lead with a spectacular shot into the top corner.

Argentina will now face Egypt in the quarterfinals. Egypt advanced by defeating Australia 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw, marking their first-ever progression to the knockout stage of the World Cup.

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Cape Verde did not give up and managed to equalize with one of the goals of the tournament. Lopes Cabral, the Benfica player, sent a fantastic shot directly into the top corner of the goal defended by Emiliano Martinez, in the 103rd minute.