Lionel Messi valued Argentina’s qualification for the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup after the 3-2 victory over Cape Verde, a match that was resolved in extra time and that demanded more from the world champion than expected.
In the mixed zone, the Inter Miami forward acknowledged that Argentina expected a difficult match against a team that had already competed with good results against rivals with greater tradition.
“We knew it was going to be a very tough game, there’s no reason this team hadn’t lost to Spain or Uruguay,” Messi said.
The Argentine captain admitted that the first goal did not allow the Albiceleste to control the development of the match as expected. “We did the most difficult thing, which was to find the first goal. We thought that from there we would be able to find our game and we were calm, and it was the opposite,” he said.
According to Messi, Argentina lost intensity after taking the lead and allowed Cape Verde to grow in the match. “We didn’t lose the ball there, but we got a little further back and couldn’t apply good pressure. They hit with their weapon,” he explained.
The man from Rosario also referred to the requirement of the direct elimination phase. “This is mata-mata and nobody gives you anything. Although we always discredit the teams by name, we knew that it was not going to be easy at all,” he said.
Messi considered that the 2026 World Cup has shown greater parity between the teams. “This is what marks this World Cup in particular: that it is very close, very complicated, that all the matches are going to be very difficult,” he added.
Regarding the effort made against Cape Verde, the captain was direct. “Today we made a big effort, as always, playing well or playing badly,” he expressed.
Despite the difficulties, Messi preferred to focus the analysis on the next round. “The important thing now is to rest, think about what’s to come and try to get positive things out of today’s game. Beyond the pass, I think there are some, because we did good things. And we have to correct the bad things, which I think were many today as well,” he concluded.
Argentina advanced to the round of 16, where it will face Egypt, after a victory that revealed Cape Verde’s resistance and the demand for a direct elimination bracket.