🎥 How sweet is this? Cape Verde players queue for a photo with Messi | OneFootball

The contrast could hardly have been greater: the Cape Verde players, plying their trade in Russia, Ireland or Portugal’s second division, found themselves facing defending champions Argentina and eight-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi in the World Cup round of 16.

Yet the West African underdog did far more than just hold their own. Cape Verde had Argentina on the brink of defeat and only went down 2–3 after extra time.

But after the match, the players no longer looked like opponents on completely equal footing, and instead slipped more into the role of fans. 

Several of Cape Verde’s World Cup heroes seized the moment and asked Messi for a souvenir photo. The superstar, with a real queue forming in front of him, granted their wishes with a smile.

Not only because of these images, the Africans are likely to remember this evening forever...

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA - AFP or licensors