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Lionel Messi has explained that Argentina must make improvements in several areas following their hard-fought 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the World Cup 2026 round of 32.

The Argentine captain opened the scoring in the 29th minute, but Cape Verde drew level just before the hour mark, forcing the game into extra time after Argentina failed to find a winner in regulation. Lisandro Martinez restored Argentina’s lead, only for Sidny Lopes Cabral to equalise again and keep Cape Verde’s hopes alive.

Ultimately, an own goal from Diney, which deflected past goalkeeper Vozinha, proved decisive and sent Argentina through to the next stage at the expense of the spirited African side.

“Today, we put in a huge effort, as always—sometimes playing well, sometimes not so well, just like we always say,” Messi said after the match. “But the key thing now is to rest, think about what’s ahead, and take the positives from this game. Beyond just qualifying, there are good things to build on, but also a lot that needs correcting, because I think there were many mistakes today.”

Cape Verde made history by becoming the smallest nation ever to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup. The island nation’s population of just 525,000 is smaller than that of each of the 50 US states.

Messi also acknowledged Cape Verde’s resilience and their ability to make things difficult for Argentina. “We knew it was going to be a very tough match. This team hadn’t lost to Spain or Uruguay for a reason,” he said.

“We did the hardest part by scoring first, and we thought that would help us settle and start playing our game more comfortably, but it turned out to be the opposite. We lost possession, sat too deep, couldn’t press effectively, and they took advantage of their strengths. We knew it would be challenging—this is a knockout tournament, and nothing comes easy.”

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy at all, and that’s what makes this World Cup so unpredictable. Every match is evenly balanced, very complicated, and extremely difficult,” Messi added.

Argentina may also have an injury concern ahead of their next game against Egypt at the Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday. Messi was seen with a swollen bruise on his forehead after a collision late in the match. The 37-year-old forward took a knee to the head and required an ice pack to reduce the swelling. Despite the knock, he played the full 120 minutes and led his team into the next round.