Messi Admits Argentina Must Improve Despite Reaching World Cup

Lionel Messi admitted Argentina fell short of their best despite securing a hard-fought victory over Cape Verde to reach the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while expressing full confidence that the reigning champions can correct their mistakes as the tournament progresses.
Argentina booked their place in the knockout stage on Saturday morning (Bangladesh time) after edging tournament surprise package Cape Verde 3-2 in a dramatic Round of 32 clash that went to extra time. The decisive moment came in the 111th minute when Dini Borges inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
Speaking after the match, Messi acknowledged that Argentina had expected a difficult contest.
"They (Cape Verde) started very aggressively. We knew it was going to be difficult. This is a highly competitive tournament, and nobody is going to give you anything for free. People often judge teams by their names, but we knew this would not be an easy match. That's one of the defining characteristics of this World Cup."
The 39-year-old forward added that every game at the tournament demands maximum effort.
"Everything is very even here. Every match is extremely difficult. Whether we play well or badly, as always, we gave everything we had. Now the most important thing is to rest, think about what's next and focus on the positives. There were positive aspects because we did some good things, but we also need to correct the negatives, and I think there were quite a few today."
After Messi's first-half opener, Cape Verde equalised early in the second half through Deroy Duarte. With the score remaining 1-1 after 90 minutes, the match went into extra time. Lisandro Martínez restored Argentina's lead before Sidney Lopes Cabral levelled once again, setting up a tense finale.
Just as the match appeared destined for a penalty shootout, Argentina found the winner in the 111th minute. Messi's corner was headed goalward by Cristian Romero before deflecting off Dini Borges and into the net for an own goal.
Messi, who leads the tournament's scoring chart with seven goals, also highlighted the importance of Argentina's improvement from set pieces.
"This team has shown for a long time that it fights until the very end. Today we made the most of a set piece, something we hadn't been doing particularly well recently. In matches like these, it's very important. We have several players who are excellent in the air."
He added:
"Today we were able to take advantage of that, and it will be very important going forward. We've been working on set pieces in both attack and defence for some time now. In tournaments like this, they are crucial."
Messi's goal against Cape Verde also extended his remarkable streak to scoring in eight consecutive World Cup matches.
Argentina will next face Egypt in the Round of 16, with the match scheduled to kick off at 10:00 pm Bangladesh time on Tuesday in Atlanta. The two nations have met twice at senior international level, with Argentina winning both previous encounters.
MMR