Lionel Messi warns Argentina must improve after Cape Verde World Cup scare

Lionel Messi urged Argentina to correct "many mistakes" after the defending champions narrowly escaped an all-time World Cup upset, defeating Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time to book a high-stakes Round of 16 showdown against Egypt

Miami: Argentina captain Lionel Messi admitted his side have ‘many things to correct’ after surviving a major scare to defeat Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time and book their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The defending champions needed an extra-time own goal, forced by Messi’s corner, to overcome a spirited Cape Verde side after being pushed back twice during a thrilling contest at the Miami Stadium on Saturday. Argentina will now face Egypt in the last 16.

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Reflecting on the performance, Messi stressed that qualification alone was not enough and said the team must learn from their mistakes ahead of the knockout stages.

“Today, we put in a huge effort, as always, playing well and playing badly, just like we always say, but I think the important thing now is to rest, think about what’s coming next and try to take positives from today’s game. Beyond just qualifying, I think there are positives because we did some good things, and we also need to correct the bad ones, which I think were many today as well,” Messi said after the match as quoted by ESPN.

Messi, who opened the scoring in the 29th minute to extend his remarkable record of scoring in eight consecutive FIFA World Cup matches, acknowledged that Argentina struggled to maintain control after taking the lead.

“We knew it was going to be a very tough match; this team hadn’t lost to Spain and Uruguay for a reason. We did the hardest part, which was finding the first goal. We thought that from then on, we would start to find our game and be more relaxed, but it was the complete opposite. We lost the ball, we sat back, we couldn’t pressure them well, and they struck with their strengths,” he said.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner added that Argentina expected a difficult challenge from Cape Verde and said knockout football leaves no room for complacency.

“We knew it was going to be difficult; this is a knockout tournament, and nobody gives you anything for free,” Messi said.

Argentina are still unbeaten in the tournament and looking to create history, becoming the first team in 64 years to successfully defend their title in the FIFA World Cup history.