Lionel Messi shared a light-hearted moment after helping Argentina national football team secure a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde national football team in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
Following the thrilling encounter, several Cape Verde players approached the Argentine captain to request his jersey, take photographs, and share a memorable moment with one of football’s greatest stars. Messi gladly obliged but couldn’t resist making a joke about how fiercely they had challenged him during the match.
“They asked for my jersey, everything… On the field, they kicked the crap out of me,” Messi said with a smile, referring to the physical nature of the contest.
The match proved to be far more difficult than many expected. Messi opened the scoring, but the determined Cape Verde side fought back repeatedly and pushed the reigning world champions into extra time. Argentina eventually sealed a 3-2 victory to advance to the Round of 16.
Despite the win, Messi admitted Argentina has several areas to improve before the next knockout fixture. He acknowledged that his team struggled to control the game at times and stressed the importance of correcting those issues as the tournament progresses.
Cape Verde’s spirited performance earned widespread praise from football fans and pundits, with the tournament debutants winning admiration for pushing the defending champions to their limits despite the narrow defeat.
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Lionel Messi Jokes After Cape Verde Players Asked for Selfies Following Argentina’s World Cup Win
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Lionel Messi laughed about Cape Verde’s physical style after Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 World Cup victory, saying the same players who kicked him during the match later asked for selfies and his jersey.
Focus Keywords
- Lionel Messi
- Argentina vs Cape Verde
- FIFA World Cup 2026
- Messi reaction
- Cape Verde football
- Argentina World Cup
Nigerian Pidgin Summary
Messi laugh after Argentina beat Cape Verde 3-2 for World Cup knockout match. After the game, some Cape Verde players come ask am for jersey and selfie. Messi jokingly talk say, “Na these same people wey dey kick me well well for pitch come dey ask for picture after match.” Even though Argentina qualify, Messi still admit say the team get plenty things to improve before their next game.
