Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde (aet): World Cup 2026 last 32, extra time – live reaction

The ball falls to Sidny Lopes Cabral on the edge of the area and he calls a beautiful shot past Martinez. What a goal and what a moment!

No!

ET 12 min: Argentina are No 2 in the Fifa rankings, Cape Verde are No 67.

ET 11 min: Cape Verde buildup slowly and a curling cross finds its way to Emi Martinez.

ET 10 min: Enzo Fernandez’s shot is blocked on the edge of the area.

ET 8 min: Alvarez flies up the pitch for Argentina after a Moreira shot is blocked. But the world champions slow things down and conserve energy.

ET 7 min: And another! They’re putting great balls into the box.

ET 6 min: And another corner!

ET 5 min: Cape Verde dust themselves off and pop up the field and win a corner.

Oh well. The ball falls to Lisandro Martinez after the corner and he smashes it into the roof of the net. There was a question whether there was a foul in the buildup but it’s allowed.

ET 2 min: I still have no idea how good Argentina are at this World Cup. Pico Lopes slices a clearance and Argentina have a corner

ET 1 min: I scoffed when they expanded the World Cup, but I think it’s nice they let underdogs like Argentina and England play against Cape Verde and DR Congo.

Come on, we all knew that was going to happen. Cape Verde have taken the world champions to extra-time. Whatever happens now, this will be remembered for a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very long time. Maybe even longer than that.

90 min + 7 min: Cape Verde are pressing! But Argentina come back. As time ticks down.

90 min + 6 min: Now it’s Cape Verde with a free-kick. Yes, Cape Verde are attacking with the game in the balance. Argentina clear.

90 min + 5 min: Messi, who looks shattered, stands over the ball. The ball skips past the wall and flops up awkwardly in front of Vozinha who does enough to block.

90 min + 4 min: Argentina are getting plenty of joy from the wings. Not enough joy though. And Messi has another free-kick on the edge of the area …

90 min + 3 min: Cape Verde get it into the Argentina half for a brief respite.

90 min + 2 min: This is an Argentinian onslaught now. Cape Verde look understandably tired. I’m tired. Paredes smacks it from distance but Vozinha saves. Of course he does.

90 min + 1min: Eight mins of added time.

90 min: Handball by Cape Verde in the area? No, the ball came off the defender’s head and on to his hand so it’s no pen. 500,000 Cape Verdeans breathe a sigh of relief.

88 min: The match has turned to what many would have anticipated. Constant Argentina pressure and heroic Cape Verde defending. But that was far from the case for much of the night.

87 min: Messi’s corner is punched out by Vozinha.

86 min: Even if Argentina win here they’ve had to work a lot harder in sapping heat than they’d have liked. Mac Allister’s shot is deflected for a corner.

84 min: De Paul is off for Paredes. A hairy moment at an Argentina corner for Cape Verde but they just about get it away.

82 min: Oh wow. ​Pico Lopes slides in as the ball flies across goal. For a minute it looks like it will loop into the net but it ends up being a good clearance. Any clearance at this point is a good one.

80 min: Not that it matters right now, but this match confirms how far ahead of everyone else France are at this World Cup. Kevin Pina, who has already been booked, has a scary moment after a foul but he escapes further punishment.

78 min: Oh my, free-kick to Cape Verde around 40-yards out. Kevin Pina mishits it and it dribbles a wide. Worth a try – 2% of the time that rockets into the back of the net and he has one of the greatest sporting moments of all time. I like those odds.

75 min: Drinks break. We all need a few. “Cape Verde has already won. Even if they don’t advance. This tiny country is making the defending champs with the greatest player ever sweat. Sometimes there are moral victories,” writes Mary Waltz.

72 min: … Messi takes the free-kick quickly while everyone else is standing around and Vozinha flies over to save just.