Argentina defeated Cape Verde 3-2 to reach the sixth consecutive edition of the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16.
Lionel Messi, Lisandro Martinez and an own goal gave the defending champions a thrilling victory in the Round of 32 match against Cape Verde in Miami on Friday.
Argentina will face another African team, Egypt, at the Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday in the next round.
Egypt defeated Australia in a penalty shootout to qualify for RO16 for the first time since 1934.
This will be the first time that Messi and Mohamed Salah will face each other in an international match.
Published on July 4, 2026
