Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:57pm on 04 Jul 2026,Saturday Sports
Lionel Messi joked that Cape Verde players asked for his jersey and photos after the match despite “kicking the crap” out of him throughout Argentina’s hard-fought 3-2 Round of 32 victory at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Closely marked and fouled five times, Messi scored Argentina’s opening goal before praising Cape Verde’s quality and determination. He admitted Argentina lost control after taking the lead and stressed the team must correct several mistakes despite progressing. Calling Cape Verde a difficult opponent, Messi said knockout football offers no easy matches and emphasised the importance of learning from the performance before the Round of 16. (PC: AFP)
