World Cup: Argentina survive Cape Verde scare, Colombia eliminate Ghana

Argentina narrowly avoided a major upset after edging Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time to secure a place in the next round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Colombia defeated Ghana 1-0 to continue their campaign.

The round-of-32 matches ended the hopes of both Cape Verde and Ghana, despite spirited performances from the African sides.

Argentina took the lead in the 29th minute through Lionel Messi, who finished brilliantly after connecting with a lofted pass from Lisandro Martínez. The goal was Messi’s seventh of the tournament.

Cape Verde responded strongly in the second half, with Deroy Duarte drawing the Blue Sharks level in the 59th minute to force the contest into extra time.

The defending champions regained the advantage two minutes into extra time when Lisandro Martínez found the net, but Cape Verde refused to back down. Sidny Lopes Cabral restored parity in the 103rd minute with a superb curling effort beyond Emiliano Martínez.

Argentina eventually sealed victory in the 111th minute after Cristian Romero’s header took a deflection off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges and ended up in the net for an own goal, giving the South Americans a dramatic 3-2 win.

In the other knockout fixture, Colombia secured a 1-0 victory over Ghana to book their place in the next round.

The South Americans struck early, taking the lead in the 14th minute when Luis Díaz delivered an accurate cross that Jhon Arias met with a well-taken finish.

Ghana searched for an equaliser for the remainder of the match, with Thomas Partey and Antoine Semenyo leading several attacking moves, but Colombia’s disciplined defence held firm to preserve the slim advantage.

With the defeat, Ghana exited the tournament alongside Cape Verde. Of the nine African teams that reached the Round of 32, only Egypt and Morocco advanced to the next stage.