‘They kick lumps out of me’: Messi laughs after classy Cabo Verde gesture | OneFootball

Lionel Messi once again showed his greatness both on and off the pitch at the 2026 World Cup. After Argentina’s hard-fought qualification for the round of 16 with a 3-2 win over Cape Verde at Hard Rock Stadium, the Albiceleste captain was at the center of a touching moment in the mixed zone: he took the time to pose for photos and sign autographs for several players from the African side, who were waiting for him in admiration.

“They asked me for my jersey, everything… On the pitch, they kick the hell out of me, haha,” joked the “No. 10” to the press about the attention he received from his opponents during the match. The Rosario star was the undisputed man of the match, opening the scoring to reach the historic record of 20 World Cup goals and playing an active role in the other two as well, delivering the crosses that led to Lisandro Martínez’s goal and Diney’s own goal.

Self-criticism and the value of set pieces

Despite the joy of the win, Messi kept his feet on the ground and gave a blunt assessment of Lionel Scaloni’s team’s performance. “We knew it was going to be a very tough match. It’s no coincidence this team hadn’t lost to Spain or Uruguay. We did the hardest part, which was finding the first goal, and we thought that from there we’d find our game. It was the exact opposite: we lost the ball, dropped too deep, and couldn’t press well,” the Argentine captain admitted.

However, the forward highlighted a key factor that ultimately unlocked their place in the next round: their effectiveness on set plays. “This national team has been showing it for a long time: it competes and will keep competing until the end. Today, set pieces were important for us, and maybe that’s something we hadn’t been converting. We’ve been working on it for a long time, both offensively and defensively. We have good headers, players who are strong in the air, and today we were able to make the most of it,” emphasized the “Flea.”

Next stop: Egypt in Atlanta

With their ticket to the round of 16 secured, the reigning world champions already know their next opponent on the road to defending the title. Argentina will face Egypt, the team that comes in after eliminating Australia in a penalty shootout. The crucial clash will be played next Tuesday, July 7, at 1:00 p.m. (Argentina time) in the city of Atlanta.

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