Cape Verde’s dream World Cup run ended in the round of 32, but supporters across the world made sure the Blue Sharks left Miami as heroes, not just as the team that lost 3-2 to Lionel Messi’s Argentina on Saturday.
“Best match so far,” one fan wrote after the final whistle. Another called it “The game of the World Cup 2026.” A third summed up the mood on social media: “A huge part of the world wanted Cape Verde to win.”
Supporters praised the debutants for pushing the three-time champions to extra time and twice fighting back from a goal down. “Respect to Cape Verde, what a game,” read one post. Another fan wrote “One year of silence for those who missed this match,” while others sent messages of support across borders, including “much respect for the Cabo Verde team.”
The reaction reflects just how close Cape Verde came to pulling off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Ranked 67th in the world against the top-ranked Argentina, the tiny island nation of roughly half a million people matched the defending champions for long spells before finally bowing out.
Messi broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, controlling a Lisandro Martinez pass with the outside of his boot before finishing past goalkeeper Vozinha. It was his seventh goal of the tournament and his 20th at World Cup level, extending his own record of scoring in eight consecutive World Cup matches.
Cape Verde refused to fold. Deroy Duarte leveled in the 59th minute, turning home a low finish after being picked out by captain Ryan Mendes, and the score stayed level until the end of normal time.
Lisandro Martinez put Argentina back in front just two minutes into extra time with a driven finish from a Messi corner. Cape Verde answered again through Sidny Lopes Cabral, who curled a stunning strike into the top corner in the 103rd minute to make it 2-2.
The decisive moment came in the 111th minute. Messi swung in another corner, Cristian Romero rose to head it goalward, and the ball deflected in off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges for an own goal.
Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who became a global sensation earlier in the tournament for his performance against Spain, kept Argentina at bay for long stretches, denying Messi’s free kick and making a string of saves before the game finally slipped away. His Instagram following, which stood at around 50,000 before the tournament, has since grown to more than 17 million.
The match also marked a milestone for Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who took charge of his 100th game in the win. “Of the 100, this one has surely left the biggest mark on me as a coach,” he said.
Messi credited Cape Verde’s resistance after the game. “As this team has demonstrated many times, and as I’ve said many times, it competes,” he said. “And we competed to the end.”
Argentina now turns its attention to Egypt, who beat Australia on penalties earlier the same day, in the round of 16 in Atlanta on Tuesday. For Cape Verde, the tournament is over, but their first World Cup appearance has already been called one of the standout stories of the competition.
