Messi admits Argentina must fix 'many' flaws after surviving Cape Verde scare at World Cup

Lionel Messi delivered a candid self-assessment after Argentina scraped past Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time in the World Cup 2026 last-32, admitting there were ‘many’ problems his side must address before facing Egypt at the Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday.

Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute, but a Cape Verde equaliser just before the hour mark forced extra time after Argentina failed to find a winner in normal time. Lisandro Martinez restored the lead, only for Sidny Lopes Cabral to level again before an own goal by Diney — deflected past goalkeeper Vozinha — finally sent the world champions through.

“Today, we put in a huge effort, as always, playing well and playing badly, just like we always say,” Messi said after the final whistle. “But I think the important thing now is to rest, think about what’s coming next and try to take positives from today’s game. Beyond just qualifying, I think there are positives because we did some good things, and we also need to correct the bad ones, which I think were many today as well.”

The Argentina captain reserved genuine praise for their opponents, who made history by becoming the smallest nation — with a population of around 525,000 — ever to reach the knockout stage of a World Cup.

“We knew it was going to be a very tough match; this team hadn’t lost to Spain and Uruguay for a reason,” Messi said. “We did the hardest part, which was finding the first goal. We thought that from then on, we would start to find our game and be more relaxed, but it was the complete opposite. We lost the ball, we sat back, we couldn’t pressure them well, and they struck with their strengths.”

Messi also reflected on the nature of the expanded tournament, warning that no game would come easy. “This is a knockout tournament, and nobody gives you anything for free. It’s very evenly matched, very complicated, and every game is going to be extremely difficult.”

Adding to Argentina’s concerns, Messi was seen with a visible swelling bruise on his forehead after taking a knee to the head during the match and requiring an ice pack. Despite the knock, he completed the full 120 minutes and remains an injury doubt heading into the last-16 tie against Egypt.