Cape Verde exit after pushing Argentina to extra time

Argentina 3–2 Cape Verde (AET), it went to extra time against the champions

Your team pushed Argentina to the absolute limit Friday night. Cape Verde 2–2 after 90 minutes. Extra time. Lionel Messi scored, Lisandro Martinez scored, and in the end it was 3–2 (1) (2) (3). No shame in that exit.

Lionel Scaloni admitted it afterwards: "The match was very tough, you always have to take the positive, and that is that this team never gives up" (1). Messi was bruised. He warned his teammates there were "many negatives" in their performance (10).

Cape Verde did not just show up. They made the world champions sweat until the final whistle.

Vozinha's Instagram explodes, 19.4 million followers

Your goalkeeper became a global phenomenon. Vozinha now has more Instagram followers than seven World Cup-winning nations combined (5). The numbers are staggering: 19.4 million people following a Cape Verde goalkeeper.

That is what a World Cup run does.

Messi: "We knew it would be extremely tough"

Messi did not downplay what your team brought. After the match he said Argentina knew beforehand Cape Verde would push them hard, pointing out this team has not lost to Spain or Uruguay (10).

"You never get anything for free in knockout matches," he added. High praise from the greatest.

Your players wanted the Messi photo

After full time, two Cape Verde players went looking for Messi to get a photo (11). Even in defeat, that moment mattered. You face your idol, you push him to extra time, and then you get the picture.

Fan reactions

The respect from neutrals is overwhelming. Argentine fans applauded Cape Verde players off the pitch, a gesture that does not happen often in knockout football. Cape Verde also finished the round of 32 as the cleanest team in the tournament by fouls committed, a stat fans are calling "truly impressive." And before a ball was kicked, Pedri had already named Cape Verde his surprise team of the tournament.

Argentine fans applauding Cape Verde players