World Cup – Messi Sets New Assist Record in Argentina Victory
World Cup – Lionel Messi added another landmark to his World Cup career as Argentina defeated Cabo Verde 3-2 after extra time in Miami to reach the Round of 16. The Argentina captain registered his ninth assist in the competition, moving ahead of Diego Maradona’s previous record of eight and becoming the tournament’s all-time leading assist provider.
Messi Extends Remarkable World Cup Run
Messi also made history by scoring in his eighth consecutive World Cup appearance. The 39-year-old opened the scoring in the 29th minute after bringing down a diagonal ball from Lisandro Martinez and firing into the roof of the net.
The goal took Messi’s overall World Cup tally to 20 and gave him seven goals in the ongoing 2026 tournament. According to Opta Paolo, he is now the first player to score seven goals in two different editions of the FIFA World Cup. He had previously scored seven times during Argentina’s title-winning campaign in Qatar in 2022.
Golden Boot Race Takes a New Turn
Messi began the knockout match level with France captain Kylian Mbappe on six goals at the top of the Golden Boot standings. His strike against Cabo Verde lifted him ahead in the race and underlined his continued influence for the defending champions.
Argentina had entered the fixture as favourites, but Cabo Verde showed confidence from the opening stages. The African side, appearing in the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time, created early pressure and tested Argentina’s defence through Ryan Mendes.
Cabo Verde Respond With Determination
After Messi’s opener, Argentina gradually gained more control and looked set to carry their advantage into the closing stages. However, Cabo Verde returned from the break with greater urgency and found an equaliser shortly before the hour mark.
Mendes played Deroy Duarte through on goal, and the forward finished from a narrow angle to make it 1-1. The goal was Cabo Verde’s first in a FIFA World Cup knockout match and sparked fresh belief among their players.
Argentina continued to create opportunities, but Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha produced a series of important saves. Messi was among those denied as the goalkeeper kept the score level and forced the contest into extra time.
Extra Time Produces Another Twist
Argentina regained the lead soon after extra time began. Lisandro Martinez reacted quickest inside the box following a corner and finished from close range to put the South American side back in front.
Cabo Verde again refused to retreat. Sidny Lopes Cabral struck a curling effort from a difficult angle to level the score at 2-2, ensuring that Argentina faced another demanding spell in the match.
The decisive goal arrived in the second half of extra time. Messi delivered a corner that was met by Romero, whose header took a slight touch off Diney Borges before crossing the line. The assist was Messi’s ninth in World Cup history, taking him beyond Maradona’s long-standing mark.
Argentina Prepare for Egypt Challenge
Cabo Verde had one final chance to take the match to penalties, but Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a crucial save from Lopes Cabral’s powerful free-kick late in the game.
Argentina will now meet Egypt in the Round of 16 as they continue their defence of the World Cup title. Cabo Verde leave the tournament after a memorable debut campaign, having pushed the reigning champions into extra time and earned praise for their determined performance.