Argentina squeaked past Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time on July 3, advancing to the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match in Miami was supposed to be a formality for the defending champions. Cape Verde had other plans.

A match that had everything except a blowout

Argentina came into the knockout round riding momentum from a clean sweep of Group J. They dispatched Algeria 3-0 on June 16, edged Austria 2-1 on June 22, and handled Jordan 3-1 on June 27.

Cape Verde, playing in the knockout stages for the first time in the nation’s history, refused to play the role of underdog sacrifice. Lionel Messi, still captaining the squad as they defend the 2022 title won in Qatar, was central to dragging his team…