It took World Cup holders extra time to see off a group of men who came to the United States with nothing but the American dream.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Bosinha waves to fans after the 3-2 loss to Argentina at Miami Stadium
They started out as a small old Cape Verde. However, they ended up becoming the Caped Crusaders.
A team of supermen who threaten to become Lionel Messi and Argentina’s kryptonite.
In the end, the fairy tale came to a shocking end in the cruelest way.
Just three minutes before the draw for the penalty shootout, Dinny Borges’ header deflected an own goal.
But the fact that it took World Cup holders the extra time to see off a group of young men who came here with nothing but the American dream speaks volumes about what happened in Miami.
For over 120 minutes, Cape Verde went head-to-head with one of the true giants of world football and never gave up.
Even when Messi put Argentina ahead with another sensational strike.
Pico López clears under pressure from Lionel Messi (Image: INPHO/Luciano Bisbal)
Even when Lisandro Martinez put Argentina in the lead again in extra time.
Cape Verde were on the canvas twice and twice got back up and threw their own punches.
Deroy Duarte tied it late. Sidney López Cabral did it again in the 103rd minute.
The goal of the tournament is to threaten the biggest story the tournament has ever told in one of the tournament’s games.
The unthinkable – Messi being kicked out of the World Cup by a team that included a man who worked as a mortgage adviser.
If ever a soccer game represented a battle between David and Goliath, this was it.
Cape Verde’s Sidney López Cabral celebrates scoring his team’s second goal against Argentina to make it 2-2 in Miami (Image: Getty)
Argentina has won the World Cup three times and is the defending champion. Cape Verde was participating in the first competition.
Argentina has played 91 World Cup matches, and this was Cape Verde’s fourth match. The Argentine starter’s total cost was over £360m, while the Cape Verdean player’s total was less than £20m.
And in Argentina, there was still a guy called Messi who was scoring shots.
The fickle Messi must have been licking his lips ahead of a match where some bookmakers refused to provide odds for Argentina to win.
With six goals in four games, he is now level with Kylian Mbappé in the thrilling race for the Golden Boot.
He also had his sights on more records.
Among them was his bid to become the fourth player to score in five consecutive World Cup finals matches.
It took less than 30 minutes.
Argentina forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the 2026 World Cup Soccer Round of 32 match between Argentina and Cape Verde at Miami Stadium in Miami Gardens on July 3, 2026 (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Messi had several witnesses, but Cape Verde looked organized and disciplined.
That was until Martinez picked up Messi near the goal.
Messi produced a divine first touch in an instant, beating Jose Vosinha with a brilliant chip finish.
The people at Miami Stadium watched the genius in action.
The magical moment extended Messi’s scoring streak to eight consecutive World Cup games.
He now has 20 in total, making Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record of 16 look meaningless in the space of a few weeks.
The floodgates were expected to open. But that wasn’t the case. Not even close.
Cape Verde continued to give it their all and hit Argentina with a slap that no one had ever seen before, when Duarte fired a shot between Martinez’s legs and past Emi Martinez to equalize.
Some Cape Verde fans behind the goal were in tears.
Argentina’s frustration began to grow. Scaloni’s men appeared to be in a state of mild shock at the position they were in.
However, the drama was just beginning.
Pico López made one of the best interceptions of the tournament, cutting in a cross from Nahuel Molina as the rearguard action continued. It was fascinating.
That dream seemed to disappear when Martinez put Argentina ahead again.
However, Cape Verde fought back and López Calbral made a sensational shot into the top corner to make it 2-2. An amazing goal that caps an even more amazing scene.
Pico Lopez and Lionel Messi (Image: INPHO/Enzo Santos Barreiro)
Suddenly, Taylor Swift’s wedding is no longer America’s biggest show.
But substitute Cristian Romero had to spoil things by jumping on Messi’s corner kick before seeing Borges’ header past Bosinha.
It was a heartbreaking incident for Cape Verde, who collapsed on the grass at the final whistle.
So Messimania and the ensuing craze somehow continues.
However, the real winners were not the defending champions, but the players in dark blue who came so close to pulling off the miracle of knocking them out.
