World Cup debutants Cape Verde etched their name into African football history after matching a long-standing Super Eagles record, despite suffering a dramatic extra-time defeat to defending champions Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Expected to cruise into the quarter-finals, Argentina took the lead midway through the first half when Lionel Messi expertly controlled a defence-splitting pass from Lisandro Martínez before slotting beyond Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha.
Rather than surrender, the tournament newcomers responded with remarkable resilience, fighting back twice to keep the South Americans under pressure. However, Argentina eventually secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory in the second half of extra time.
Cape Verde’s two goals ensured they became only the second African nation to score twice against Argentina in a FIFA World Cup match, equalling a feat achieved by Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
On that occasion, Ahmed Musa scored both goals for Nigeria in a thrilling encounter that ended 3-2 in Argentina’s favour, with Messi also netting twice.
Although their fairytale World Cup journey came to an end, Cape Verde earned widespread admiration for their fearless display against the reigning champions, proving they can compete with the world’s elite on football’s biggest stage.
Argentina will now face Egypt in the quarter-finals after the Pharaohs stunned their Round of 16 opponents in a penalty shootout to book a place in the last eight.