Argentina secured their automatic qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a 3-2 win in a highly charged and closely fought match in the playoffs on Friday after defeating Cabo Verde in a thriller match that went into extra time.
Cabo Verde twice found themselves in the game after Lionel Messi extended his empire with his 20th FIFA World Cup goal early in regulation but he stayed competitive till period’s end thanks to Sidny Lopes Cabral and Deroy Duarte.
In the 103rd minute, Lisandro Martinez re-took the Argentina lead from the Austro-Hungarian visitors but the final blow to the scoreless stalemate came in the 111th minute when Cristian Romero deflected an own-goal on his own effort off Cabo Verde goalkeeper Diney Borges.
Still, Cabo Verde mustered an upbeat display to force World Cup champions to their limits, wowing the pro-Argentine crowd in South Florida.
The outcome (3-2 victory after a 45 minutes of added time) took Argentina into the Round of 16 and will now play Egypt (who struggled to defeat Australia in a penalty shootout earlier in the tournament but had a good chance at the buzzer).
The spirited battle was one of the most competitive of the tournament and Argentina’s survival against a spirited attempt allowed them to maintain their title defence.