Lionel Messi finished the round of 32 match against Cape Verde with a striking bruise on his forehead, an image that quickly went viral after Argentina qualified. Although the blow generated concern among fans, the Albiceleste captain was able to continue in the match.
The incident occurred in the 93rd minute, when the score was 1-1 and the game had not yet reached overtime. Messi received the ball on the right wing and headed towards the area in search of the winning goal.
In the action, Cape Verdean Deroy Duarte tripped him from behind. When he fell, the Argentine striker’s head hit the knee of midfielder João Paulo, causing a visible bruise that remained for the rest of the game and in subsequent interviews.
Despite the strong blow, Messi did not need serious attention and remained on the field of play until the end of the match. The captain was decisive in the Albiceleste’s comeback, which won 3-2 to ensure their qualification for the round of 16 and keep alive the dream of winning the 2026 World Cup.
Despite the blow to the forehead, Lionel Messi continued on the field and maintained his influence on the game. In the 111th minute of extra time, he executed a precise corner kick that found the head of Cristian “Cuti” Romero, scorer of the 3-2 goal that secured Argentina’s qualification.
At the end of the match, the Albiceleste captain recognized the difficulty of the match against Cape Verde. “Today we knew that it was going to be a very tough game, that this team had not lost against Spain, against Uruguay,” stated in the mixed zone.
Messi also explained that the key was opening the scoring. “The most difficult thing was finding the first goal,” he pointed out, while admitting that Argentina lost control of the ball and stopped pressing intensely in several passages of the match, which allowed Cape Verde to become a very demanding rival.