Pundits lavished praise on Cabo Verde after their spirited performance in a 2-3 loss to Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Messi’s opener (29′) was cancelled out by Deroy Duarte’s equalizer (59′), forcing the game into extra time. Lisandro Martinez scored early in the added period (92′) to restore Argentina’s lead, but a thunderous strike from Sidny Lopes Cabral (103′) restored parity for Cabo Verde.
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Unfortunately for the Blue Sharks, a late corner from Messi was deflected by Diney into his own net (111′), ending their exceptional World Cup campaign. The exhilarating encounter triggered some incredible reactions on social media from legendary footballers and pundits alike.
Reacting to their second equalizer, ex-Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand wrote:
“Ohmyyyy Cape Verde!!! What a goal WOW.”
In reaction to the same goal, ex-Liverpool striker Stan Collymore wrote:
“GOAL OF THE F**KING TOURNAMENT!! OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD!!”
Former Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City forward Daniel Sturridge claimed:
“Cape Verde may not lift the World Cup, but they’re already winners.”
In response to a tweet that said, ‘Cape Verde are the story of the 2026 World Cup. No ifs, no buts, no asterisk. This is what World Cup football is about,’ former Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy asserted:
“In capitals, bolded and underlined.”
Former USMNT forward Taylor Twellman simply wrote:
“Stunned.”
With the scoreline at 1-1 after 90 minutes, former Norway forward Jan Aage Fjortoft wrote:
“Big respect for Cape Verde! Holding the reigning World Champion to a draw. Held the reigning European Champions to a draw. Still haven’t lost a game.”
Former Spain and Real Madrid shotstopper Iker Casillas wrote:
“Just for seeing the joy of the people of Cape Verde, it’s worth it!! How beautiful football is!”
Former Germany defender Mats Hummels, who played for Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund among others at club level, claimed:
“Cape Verde. That was the most impressive game i have ever seen from a big time underdog, my biggest respect.”
After surviving the scare from Cabo Verde, Argentina will face off against Egypt in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Tuesday, July 7).
As Kylian Mbappe gives chase, Argentina superstar Lionel Messi continues to extend his FIFA World Cup goalscoring record
Superstar Argentina forward Lionel Messi extended his FIFA World Cup goalscoring record with another scintillating goal against Cabo Verde in the Round of 32.
In the 29th minute of the encounter, the 39-year-old took a sensational touch to control a long ball from Lisandro Martinez and unleashed a strike beyond Vozinha at the near post. The goal was his 20th in 30 appearances at the FIFA World Cup, extending his own previous record in the competition.
Both himself and France superstar Kylian Mbappe (18 goals in 18 games) surpassed Miroslav Klose’s record (16 goals in 24 games) at the ongoing World Cup. While the 27-year-old Frenchman currently sits behind the Argentine icon, he is likely to overtake him in the near future.
Edited by Aaryan Nagraj