1 hour ago
1
Argentina scraped past Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time during the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Lionel Messi was not exactly popping champagne afterward. The 38-year-old legend used his post-match comments to flag what he called “many” bad things the squad needs to fix.
What happened on the pitch
The match, played around July 3-4, 2026, was supposed to be a comfortable stroll for the defending champions. Cape Verde had other ideas.
Argentina needed extra time to dispatch an opponent that, on paper, should not have pushed them past 90 minutes. The 3-2 scoreline tells a story of defensive vulnerability and inconsistency that Messi himself acknowledged publicly.
“Today, we put in a huge effort…we also need to correct the bad ones, which I think were many today as well.”
At 38, Messi is navigating the tournament with the physical limitations that come with age. His club commitments to Inter Miami in MLS mean his body has been logging minutes across competitions.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) · 