Messi: Cape Verde Are a Much Tougher Opponent Than People Think

Argentina survived a scare against Cape Verde in the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, needing extra time to book their spot in the next stage. Lionel Messi was candid about the performance after the final whistle. “Set pieces were our main weapon today — we’ve been working on them in training and we have enough players who are strong in the air. But we weren't compact enough when pressing. Our lines were too far apart, we were disorganized. Cape Verde always had an extra man in certain situations and made us run a lot. They are a very difficult opponent. It's no coincidence they didn't lose to Spain or Uruguay. In a knockout tournament, no one gives you anything. And at this World Cup, the gap between teams is smaller than ever — every match is incredibly tough. We have to fix our mistakes because there were too many tonight,” the Argentine captain said. Argentina will now face Egypt in Atlanta on July 7 at 7:00 PM local time.