Following Argentina’s thrilling 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32, Lionel Messi joked that his opponents demanded his jersey despite the rough physical treatment he endured during the match.
Recall that the reigning champions were pushed to the limit by debutants Cape Verde, needing an own goal in extra-time to finally secure a 3-2 win.
Read Also:World Cup 2026: France Must Not Depend On Aggression To Beat Paraguay –Deschamps
Messi opened the scoring with his seventh goal of the tournament, but the minnows hit back to force extra-time.
Lisandro Martinez gave Argentina a 2-1 lead, only for Sidny Lopes Cabral to score one of the great World Cup goals to level.
Eventually, an own goal from a corner secured victory for Argentina as they scraped into the last 16.
Despite the physical challenge, Messi also praised Cape Verde’s strong performance, noting that their ability to frustrate the world champions was no coincidence given their previous results against Spain and Uruguay.
“They asked for my jersey, everything… On the field, they kick the crap out of me,” Messi joked.
“This team has been demonstrating this for a long time, it competes and will compete until the end.
Read Also:World Cup 2026: Messi Scores As Argentina Edge Cape Verde In Five-Goal Thriller
“We saw the importance of set pieces, which we hadn’t been converting well lately. In matches like this, it’s important. We have good headers, players who are good in the air.
“We were able to take advantage of it, and it’s going to be important. We’ve been working on it for a while, both offensively and defensively. In a competition like this, it’s important.”
