And with that, I’ll sign off. What an amazing night – you’d have to have a heart of stone not to fall in love with Cape Verde after that. Here’s Barney Ronay’s match report:
Updated
If you can take any more excitement tonight Colombia and Ghana are about to kickoff in Kansas City:
More emails from readers:
Farhan: “I totally understand why Argentina would celebrate their win tonight. Cabo Verde went toe to toe with them. Not everyone does. I wonder what might have happened tonight if Romero’s multiple yellow card worthy fouls were called as such.
Sonali Singh: No other match in this tournament has given me as much joy as this one has!
And some people thought Taylor Swift’s wedding was the biggest news of the weekend. “That was so good my hair almost grew back,” says Thierry Henry on the Fox broadcast.
Vozinha had eight saves tonight because of course he did.
Argentina had 2.16 expected goals to Cape Verde’s 0.46 tonight, which just goes to show why xG should be fired into the sun.
Some emails:
Liisa Sletzinger: “Cabo Verde has great quality in terms of talent obviously but this whole World Cup they’ve been truly the most valiant above all.”
Sam MB: “Good lord and Vozinha on high.. You called it, Argentina just held off the Shark minnows. What a game. How embarrassing for the holders to look so relieved. Buying my Vozinha shirt ASAP. Messi who?”
Arun Kumar: “Instead of being embarrassed by the performance they Argentina team are celebrating. World champions indeed. Classless.”
Sean Boiling: “Whatever happens Sidny Lopes Cabral will always be the goat/goated/from the place of the goats.”
Argentina are still out on the pitch. I’d be lying down in a cool, dark room if I was them. But perhaps that’s why they’re world-class athletes and I’m not. Going forward, you wonder how that extra 30 minutes in that heat will affect them later on in the tournament.
Cape Verde run over to salute their fans, who shower love on them. Argentina salute their own fans and do the relieved/tired thing.
The Cape Verde players look devastated – some in tears, others with their heads in their hands. Obviously they should be proud of themselves but it’s completely understandable, they were so close to pulling off the greatest sporting shock of all time. Messi looks a mix of bemused, relieved and shattered.
Updated
Full-time Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde
Vozinha ushers his men forward. Cape Verde will have the throw but Argentina hold them off and they have won. Just.
Updated
ET 30 min + 2: Diego Simeone in the crowd looks VERY nervous.
ET 30 min + 1: Lisandro Martinez takes a ball to the unmentionables. Cape Verde have a corner. Argentina block the shot.
ET 30 min: Three minutes for Cape Verde to save this.
ET 29 min: Wow. Almost an equaliser for Cape Verde. Martinez has to fly out to save at point blank range. Argentina are desperately defending. Yep, the world champions are barely holding off Cape Verde.
ET 28 min: A corner for Cape Verde but it doesn’t get past the first defender, Romero.
ET 26 min: Sidny Lopes Cabral takes the free-kick - why not after that first goal? And he swipes it around the wall and it takes a fantastic save from Martinez. He is so valuable for Argentina.
ET 25 min: Free-kick on the edge of the area for Cape Verde and Montiel is booked.
ET 24 min: Cape Verde have been at their best after the’ve conceded in this match. And it’s happening again. Moreira only just misses connecting with a ball in the box. Quite a few Argentinians are cramping up. I don’t blame them.
ET 23 min: Messi with the assist, of course. He looks relieved … and very tired.
GOAL! Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde (Romero ET 21 min)
Is that it? The corner is sent in and Romero leaps to head home. It came off a defender’s hand on the way in, but all that matters is that Argentina are leading.
Updated
ET 19 min: All the subs have been used not for both teams. Sorry I didn’t name them all, it’s been intense.
ET 18 min: Mac Allister is fouled around 35 yards out. And, yes, Messi will take. Nothing much comes of it. How will playing this long a game affect Messi who, as great as he is, is in his late 30s?
ET 17 min: An Argentina cross sails out for a goal kick. The big question: can they hang on for penalties?
ET 16 min: Lots of shocked Argentinians on the pitch. Lots of shocked Cape Verdeans too. Lots of shocked everyone.
Half-time in extra-time: Argentina 2-2 Cape Verde
Replays of that goal – we’ll only see that a few more thousand times in the next few years – are being shown. It was such a beautiful strike. On Fox, Rebecca Lowe reminds us that Sidny Lopes Cabral was playing in the German third tier a few months ago.
“Argentina stepped on the field thinking they’d already won. When Messi scored they thought job complete. When Martinez netted in extra time the Albiceleste believed they were home and hosed. They never went in for the kill, and now they’re on track for penalties,” says Kári Tulinius.
Updated
ET 15 min + 3: Cape Verde are worth their two goals here. This is not a fluke. Argentina had won 10 in a row coming into this game.
ET 15 min + 1: Vozinha will NOT be beaten. He flies to his right to smother a Messi shot from 15 yards out.
ET 15 min: Three minutes of added time.
The ball falls to Sidny Lopes Cabral on the edge of the area and he curls a beautiful shot past Martinez. What a goal and what a moment!
Updated
GOAL!!!!!!! Argentina 2-2 Cape Verde (Cabral ET 14 min)
No!
Updated
ET 12 min: Argentina are No 2 in the Fifa rankings, Cape Verde are No 67.
Updated
ET 11 min: Cape Verde buildup slowly and a curling cross finds its way to Emi Martinez.
ET 10 min: Enzo Fernandez’s shot is blocked on the edge of the area.
ET 8 min: Alvarez flies up the pitch for Argentina after a Moreira shot is blocked. But the world champions slow things down and conserve energy.
ET 7 min: And another! They’re putting great balls into the box.
ET 6 min: And another corner!
ET 5 min: Cape Verde dust themselves off and pop up the field and win a corner.
GOAL! Argentina 2-1 Cape Verde (L. Martinez ET 3 min)
Oh well. The ball falls to Lisandro Martinez after the corner and he smashes it into the roof of the net. There was a question whether there was a foul in the buildup but it’s allowed.
Updated
ET 2 min: I still have no idea how good Argentina are at this World Cup. Pico Lopes slices a clearance and Argentina have a corner
ET 1 min: I scoffed when they expanded the World Cup, but I think it’s nice they let underdogs like Argentina and England play against Cape Verde and DR Congo.
Full-time: Argentina 1-1 Cape Verde
Come on, we all knew that was going to happen. Cape Verde have taken the world champions to extra-time. Whatever happens now, this will be remembered for a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very long time. Maybe even longer than that.
90 min + 7 min: Cape Verde are pressing! But Argentina come back. As time ticks down.
90 min + 6 min: Now it’s Cape Verde with a free-kick. Yes, Cape Verde are attacking with the game in the balance. Argentina clear.
90 min + 5 min: Messi, who looks shattered, stands over the ball. The ball skips past the wall and flops up awkwardly in front of Vozinha who does enough to block.
90 min + 4 min: Argentina are getting plenty of joy from the wings. Not enough joy though. And Messi has another free-kick on the edge of the area …
90 min + 3 min: Cape Verde get it into the Argentina half for a brief respite.
90 min + 2 min: This is an Argentinian onslaught now. Cape Verde look understandably tired. I’m tired. Paredes smacks it from distance but Vozinha saves. Of course he does.
90 min + 1min: Eight mins of added time.
90 min: Handball by Cape Verde in the area? No, the ball came off the defender’s head and on to his hand so it’s no pen. 500,000 Cape Verdeans breathe a sigh of relief.
Updated
88 min: The match has turned to what many would have anticipated. Constant Argentina pressure and heroic Cape Verde defending. But that was far from the case for much of the night.
87 min: Messi’s corner is punched out by Vozinha.
86 min: Even if Argentina win here they’ve had to work a lot harder in sapping heat than they’d have liked. Mac Allister’s shot is deflected for a corner.
84 min: De Paul is off for Paredes. A hairy moment at an Argentina corner for Cape Verde but they just about get it away.
82 min: Oh wow. Pico Lopes slides in as the ball flies across goal. For a minute it looks like it will loop into the net but it ends up being a good clearance. Any clearance at this point is a good one.
Updated
80 min: Not that it matters right now, but this match confirms how far ahead of everyone else France are at this World Cup. Kevin Pina, who has already been booked, has a scary moment after a foul but he escapes further punishment.
78 min: Oh my, free-kick to Cape Verde around 40-yards out. Kevin Pina mishits it and it dribbles a wide. Worth a try – 2% of the time that rockets into the back of the net and he has one of the greatest sporting moments of all time. I like those odds.
75 min: Drinks break. We all need a few. “Cape Verde has already won. Even if they don’t advance. This tiny country is making the defending champs with the greatest player ever sweat. Sometimes there are moral victories,” writes Mary Waltz.
72 min: … Messi takes the free-kick quickly while everyone else is standing around and Vozinha flies over to save just.
Updated
71 min: Messi is fouled right on the edge of the area by Cabral. Messi stands over the ball, this is right where he wants it …
70 min: The composure that Cape Verde showed before they scored has deserted them a little recently. But you’d probably be a little fried if you were drawing with the world champions in the World Cup knockouts.
68 min: Kevin Pina is booked after bundling Messi to the ground. Argentina have a free kick around 35 yards out. Messi’s shot hits the wall.
67 min: Enzo Fernandez tries a bicycle kick that screws wide. You’ll need to do better than that against Cape Verde, Enzo.
65 min: If Argentina were taking things slowly before the equaliser they’ve woken up now. They’re a little more urgent now. What have you done Cape Verde. Again, the population of Cape Verde is 500,000.
Updated
63 min: Vozinha! Messi is through on goal but the keeper charges out to save. Lautaro Martinez is off for Julian Alvarez.
Updated
61 min: That wasn’t the case of heroic defence by an underdog before a fluke strike tied the game. Cape Verde had simply been the better side this half and looked incredibly composed, never more so than in the beautiful buildup to that goal.
It was coming? A Ryan Mendes cross nutmegs an Argentina defender and Duarte fires the ball past Martinez from a tight angle.
Updated
GOAAAL!!! Argentina 1-1 Cape Verde (Deroy Duarte 59 min)
Ummmm…
Updated
58 min: A reminder: Cape Verde are only one goal down against the world champions and are not being completely outplayed. Unlike Argentina, they are unbeaten in World Cup history.
56 min: If you ever wondered what LeBron v Jordan would look like: The two GOATS face off – Vozinha takes on Messi near goal and (somewhat clumsily it has to be said) gets the ball away.
54 min: Messi turns provider, almost playing in Nahuel Molina at pretty much the same spot Messi was in for his goal. There’s a reason why Messi has scored 9,468,936 professional goals though – Molina doesn’t have the same control and the ball flicks out of play. Up the other end Deroy Duarte has a great effort that Emi Martinez dives to save.
52 min: Cape Verde have had the better of the very early stage of this half. “By now we should be used to this. Cape Verde a small nation with far fewer resources and training infrastructure than Argentina, or any of their Group opponents, simply holds their own. Imagine an improved version of this once Cape Verde’s share of prize money gets used for some football investment,” writes in sandgk sandgk.
49 min: Steven Moreira, not for the first time, finds some space on the right and then wastes his cross. Cape Verde do have a corner though. Cabral picks it up and his shot is deflected for a corner. It’s cleared but Cape Verde are 2-0 up in corners. Small steps and all that.
46 min: And we’re back. Remember Cape Verde, you’re only one goal down and things are looking tricky but worse things can happen to you on your trip to the US.
Argentina (or Cape Verde!) will play Egypt in the next round. Here’s how their match with Australia went down earlier:
Half-time emails:
Colin Livingston: “This Cape Verde team is so likeable, I think because they seem so irrepressible, whatever is in front of them. They just get up and go again. There’s more established teams that could learn from it.”
Simon McMahon: “Far be it from me to annotate an XI from the legendary Mac Millings, but if we’re talking surprise packages, maybe a place on the bench for ‘awe’ssie Ardiles? Or whatthefucKenny Dalglish?”
John Burrell: “Is that hunched shooting style of Messi unique to him? Does it give some advantage like lower centre of gravity, greater stability, head over ball, better control or something? It seems so identifiably Messi. I know he’s a freak. I’ve seen those clips where he’s surrounded by 6-8 players and still scores.”
Gregory Phillips: “This may an overly simplistic reading, but Messi seems to be playing for Argentina with more joy and less pressure now the burden of never having won the World Cup has been lifted. And what’s scary for everyone else is the fact that he’s now playing with house moneys apparently making him more dangerous than ever.”
It’s probably just playing in MLS.
Half-time: Argentina 1-0 Cape Verde
That piece of brilliance from Messi aside, Cape Verde have handled Argentina pretty well. On the flip side, Argentina may well know that they need to save their energy for the latter stages of this tournament and are aware one goal will probably be enough – they’ve been happy to keep things calm for much of this match. Cape Verde also looked a little more ragged towards the end of the half. Still, they’re one sweet strike away from taking this to extra-time.
45 min +2: A clumsy challenge from Messi gives Cape Verde a free-kick. He isn’t booked.
45 min: Talking of GOATs … Vozinha plunges to his left to handle a long shot from Enzo Fernandez. Of course he does.
Updated
43 min: Vozinha has a scary moment as Lautaro Martinez chases down a loose ball. The Cape Verde keeps gathers as Lautaro Martinez gives him a little kick. Leave our GOAT alone!.
Updated
40 min: A beautiful ball into the box finds Moreira, whose cross finds Sidny Lopes Cabral, who tries another cross but play breaks down.
38 min: Loose header from Argentina and Moreira has a thrash from distance – you never know! – but it’s well side.
35 min: Argentina ping it around for a bit. They can save their energy a little in the sapping heat thanks to that goal. Messi’s seventh goal of the tournament puts him one ahead of Kylian Mbappé, who plays tomorrow against Paraguay.
33 min: “Are there any superlatives left for Messi? How can anyone deal with this phenomenon?" asks Steven Grundy. I wrote a Messi profile before the 2014 World Cup and people were running out of superlatives then. The fact that he’s better at World Cups in his mid to late 30s than he was in his 20s is ridiculous.
31 min: Cape Verde had been playing well until that point. It’s not really like they did much wrong, Messi was just too good. Now Cape Verde have to do something they’ve struggled with this tournament: create chances.
GOAL Argentina 1-0 Cape Verde (Messi, who else, 28 min)
Just the usual genius from the great man. He drifts into space, controls a long ball beautifully with the outside of his boot, around seven yards from goal, and lashes the ball into the roof of the net.
Updated
25 min: Drinks! Cape Verde held the European champions in their first match and now they’re holding the world champions. And it’s been pretty comfortable for them. This has not been a case of them flinging their bodies around to deflect shots. Vozinha hasn’t had much to do, and the islanders even had flickers of threats now and then.
23 min: A lovely sweeping ball nearly finds Jovane Cabral in acres of space on the wing but he can’t control it.
21 min: Medina’s cross is so good it even confuses his teammates. Or maybe it was just bad. Cape Verde clear.
18 min: … pah! You don’t beat Vozinha with that kind of shot. Messi’s free-kick gets past the wall but the Cape Verde keeper smothers it nicely. Short afterwards he skips out his goal to take the ball as Messi closes in.
17 min: Cabral puts in a hard challenge on Messi. I thought it was firm but fair but a free-kick is given to Argentina on the edge of the area …
16 min: Chance of the match so far! Messi takes the ball off a teammate and drifts a shot across goal. “Never before has a Goliath been so diminutive,” cackles Doug Wilkinson on email.
Updated
13 min: Kevin Pina deals well with a pass into the Cape Verde area. They look pretty comfortable so far in defence. Argentina must be wishing they had someone who could produce a moment of breathtaking magic that can change a game in an instant.
10 min: The better side at the moment are … Cape Verde? They are really well organised and have made a few prods into the Argentinian half.
Mac Millings email in with some lovely stuff:
“A couple of weeks ago, MBM legend Simon McMahon requested a Surprise Package XI, and what better time than a Cape-Verde-in-the-knockouts to select it?
Ed de Goey Saw That Coming?
Fluke Shaw
Congratulasean Dyche
Tim Dream
Tahith Punchong above their weight
Giant Killars Elstrup
Marc Overmarchiever
Cinderella Toone
Dark Horst Hrubesch
Deniz Undavdog
Unexpecteddy Sheringham
Manager: Shock Stein
8 min: Mendes tricks his way into the box. His shot is deflected and trickles to Emi Martinez in goal, but it’s positive stuff from the underdogs.
Updated
7 min: Cape Verde aren’t messing around here and spend a minute or so buzzing around the Argentina box. Looks like they’re not going to sit back for the entire evening. A reminder they drew with Spain in their opener. Yeah, that Spain.
5 min: Nahuel Molina writhes around for a bit on the edge of the area after Jovane Cabral puts an arm across his face. Drew Fischer waves play on.
3 min: Justin Kavanagh writes in: “One last chance to watch probably the world’s most popular footballer. And to see if Messi can score against him.” Speak of the devil: Vozinha has his first touch with a clearance.
1 min: Argentina are in their famous sky blue and white, Cape Verde are in their getting-famous dark blue. Cape Verde coach Bubista in a zingy open-necked shirt.
And we’re off. And so is Peter Oh. “Some people probably assume that Messi has a house bigger than Cape Verde but the tiny island country has hope,” he writes. “Speaking of which, has anyone sung about hope more eloquently than the late legendary Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Évora?”
Come for the football, stay for the morna.
Plenty of excited fans in the stadium tonight: imagine going to Hard Rock and being spared the indignity of watching the Dolphins. Anyway, the players are out. It’s 89F/32C at kickoff and there may be rain on the way. Not the nice cooling kind either.
Updated
Mac Millings has seen Cape Verde in the flesh and doesn’t think this game is a done deal. “I was fortunate enough to be at the Cabo Verde-Spain game, and it was no fluke result. Cabo Verde kept them at arms length for most of the 90+ minutes, and could have nicked it at the end. You don’t qualify for the World Cup out of Africa by chance, and Argentina underestimate the Blue Sharks at their peril,” he says.
The stadium is packed with Argentinian fans, who outnumber the Cape Verdeans by several degrees. Perhaps not surprising given that Argentina has 48 million people and Cape Verde has 500,000. The lightning looks like it has held off though, so we should start on time.
Some entertainment while we wait for kick-off. Picture editor and the Guardian’s ninth-best surfer, Jonny Weeks, has produced a wonderful gallery comparing the US hosting the World Cup in 1994 to 2026. From the hairstyles to the stadiums, the kits to the celebrations, we take a look at the changing face of the game (and some fun fading images):
Sam MB writes in: “Looking forward to an interesting a defensive game, but perhaps one which features bursts of speed and a mildly amused Messi being roughed up by defenders. Truly though... Wouldn’t it restore faith in the world if the islanders triumphed? And I don’t mean England. Let’s go Sharks (do do do doot do do)!” And now I have Baby Shark in my head. Thanks Sam.
With all the caveats about every team being dangerous at the World Cup, the draw is opening up nicely for Argentina. Their path to the semi-final will potentially be Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland/Colombia. They also can’t play Spain or France until the final.
From the coaches.
Lionel Scaloni on Cape Verde:
“They’re a good team. We’ve already watched them, not just because we are playing against them, but because we were analysing potential opponents and then they qualified. We are not surprised, to be honest. They are a good team, and they are not here by chance. We must respect them and that’s what we will do.”
Bubista on his team:
“Since we arrived, we have trusted in our own way of working and in what we have done. If others did not respect us, that was their issue. We trust our work.”
Our man on the ground, Pablo Maurer, says there have been lightning strikes around the stadium. That means the start could well be delayed until the weather clears.
Updated
Mikel John Obi and Peter Schmeichel are on Fox to give their verdicts on how Cape Verde can beat Argentina, which basically boil down to “no chance” and “impossible”. But! They agree the Blue Sharks’ team unity is a big advantage.
Updated
Paul Wareham emails in to confirm Cape Verde is a lovely place to go on holiday and it does have a desert, to go along other great island deserts like Corsica’s Agriates and England’s Coventry. He also sent a charming photo of what appears to be a sand angel he made in the desert.
Team news
Lionel Messi will play in his 30th World Cup match tonight, extending his record for the most by a men’s player in their career. He’ll be joined by Lautaro Martinez in attack, while Julian Alvarez drops to the bench.
For Cape Verde, Cape Verde midfielder Telmo Arcanjo, who was struggling with a leg injury, starts on the bench. Sidny Lopes Cabral returns from suspension to start at left-back.
Argentina: Emiliano Martinez, Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero, Facundo Medina, Nahuel Molina, Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Lionel Messi (captain), Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martinez. Subs: Musso, Rulli, Senesi, Tagliafico, Montiel, Paredes, Barco, Alvarez, Lo Celso, Palacios, Gonzalez, Simeone, Paz, Otamendi, Lopez.
Cape Verde: Vozinha, Diney Borges, Pico Lopes, Sidny Lopes Cabral, Steven Moreira, Kevin Pina, Jovane Cabral, Deroy Duarte, Laros Duarte, Ryan Mendes (captain), Nuno da Costa. Subs: Rosa, dos Santos, Stopira, Costa, Joao Paulo, Benchimol, Monteiro, Rodrigues, Yannick Semedo, Willy Semedo, Arcanjo, Livramento, Pina, Pires, Varela.
Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)
Updated
Pablo Maurer is at the match for us tonight and reminds us that this is almost a home game for Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi. Like he needs the help:
A few teams that have lost more games at this World Cup than Cape Verde: Germany, Sweden, Japan, Uruguay, Norway, Croatia.
Now, admittedly, Cape Verde haven’t won any games either. But they’ve drawn against Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Spain, the latter of whom I’m told are half decent. How do they win today. Hold on for long enough that Argentina start to doubt themselves and tire in the heat and then nick it on penalties thanks to Vozinha heroics would be the most obvious tactic. It’s hard to tell exactly how good Argentina are as they’re yet to be really tested this tournament. If they do get beaten what are we calling it? The Miracle in Miami? Sharks Tank Champs? Ummmm…
The winner of this match will play Egypt, who just beat Australia on penalties. The Socceroos elected to have TWO central defenders take their penalties, one of who is 18, which was a choice. That’s the first time Egypt have advanced from a knockout match. Reaction here with Scott Murray:
Aand we’re going to penalties in Australia v Egypt. Follow along here. I am now liveblogging a liveblog. They actually pay me for this:
During my exhaustive research for this liveblog – googling “Who is this Messi guy” and the like – I had a look at Cape Verde. I now want to go on holiday there. I am not taking money from the Cape Verde Tourist Board for this. For the sake of balance, I hear Argentina is great too.
The winners of this match will play either Australia or Egypt, who are currently in the second period of extra time in their last 32 match. You can follow all the action with our liveblog here:
Weather watch
A big blanket of filthy heat has squatted over the east coast of the US for the last few days, but it’s actually not too bad in Miami Gardens (by Miami Gardens standards). It will be 30C/86F at kick off, not ideal but not unfamiliar conditions for a lot of the Cape Verde squad, especially Pico Lopes, who is used to playing in the scalding heat of the Dublin suburbs for Shamrock Rovers. And possibly not for Lionel Messi who has spent his last few Julys playing in, let’s see … Miami!
Although Hard Rock/Miami Stadium doesn’t have AC it is designed to capture breezes. It was certainly pleasant enough the one time I’ve been there. Although, granted, that was in February.
Preamble
Hello! It’s fairytale time as Cape Verde, the smallest nation left in the World Cup, are playing the world champions, Argentina, led by the greatest player of the modern era. According to Opta’s Very Big And Clever Super Computer the Cape Verdeans have a 10% chance of winning tonight, which seems a little generous?
Anyway, if they do win it would be a sporting shock along the lines of Japan beating South Africa at the (Rugby) World Cup, Leicester winning the Premier League, Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson, the Miracle on Ice, Cameroon beating Argentina at the 1990 World Cup, Saudi Arabia beating Argentina at the 2022 World Cu... Hang on, I’m seeing a trend here.
Updated
Tom will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s a look at this match from Graham Ruthven’s daily watch guide:
What to watch for
So far, so good for Argentina in their World Cup defence. Messi and his team maintained a perfect record through the group stage, scoring eight goals and conceding just one in the process. On the basis of what they have shown so far, La Albiceleste will take some stopping. Their game is functioning well.
Cape Verde have made history at every turn this summer. Not just content with qualifying for their first World Cup, the Blue Sharks will now play their first World Cup knockout match against the defending champions. Cape Verde kept Spain and Uruguay at arm’s length and will aim to do the same against Argentina.
Player to watch: Lionel Messi, Argentina – The Goat has been in top form so far, scoring six goals in just three games. Even at 39, Messi is unmatched when it comes to deciding a match at the elite level. There’s no one like him.
