In the FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Cabo Verde, Argentina emerged victorious by 3-2 at the Miami Stadium in Florida.
During the match, the defending champions needed an own goal from Diney to defeat Cabo Verde.
Speaking about surviving a major scare, Argentina’s skipper Lionel Messi said that, apart from qualifying, his team needs to learn from the mistakes in the clash against Cabo Verde.
“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,” he said according to ESPN.
Messi, who opened the scoring, said that his team did the hardest part which was scoring the first goal. He then heaped praise on the opposition team by saying that Argentina was not able to put pressure on them, and they stated that the Ryan Mendes-led team played well according to their strengths.
“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 added.
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The win has helped Argentina seal a spot in the round of 16. They will lock horns with Egypt on July 7 at the Atlanta Stadium in Georgia.
Additionally, the Messi-led team is still unbeaten in the ongoing marquee event and will look to script history by becoming the first team in 64 years to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup title.
(With IANS Inputs)
