Scaloni praised Argentina for their tenacious resilience after a thrilling victory over Cape Verde.

Argentina, the "Pampas Eagles," narrowly defeated Cape Verde 3-2 in a key Round of 36 match at the 2026 World Cup, thanks to goals from Messi and Lisandro, as well as an own goal forced by Romero. In an interview, Scaloni stated that the team showed great resilience under difficult circumstances and expressed his belief that the team will only get better after overcoming such challenges.

In the 29th minute, Messi received a long pass from Lisandro and slotted the ball past Cape Verde goalkeeper Chivonia to give Argentina a 1-0 lead. In the 59th minute of the second half, Ryan Mendes crossed the ball, and Deroy Duarte slotted it home to level the score at 1-1 for Cape Verde.

In the 92nd minute of extra time, Messi took a corner kick, McAlees headed the ball across, and Lisandro received it, took a few steps, and then fired a powerful shot into the net, giving Argentina a 2-1 lead over Cape Verde. In the 103rd minute, Yannick Semedo passed the ball to Lopez Cabral, who curled a shot into the net, leveling the score at 2-2 for Cape Verde.

In the 111th minute, Messi took a corner kick, and Romero's header deflected off Dinhey Borges and into the net. Ultimately, Argentina defeated Cape Verde 3-2, successfully advancing to the round of 16.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said, "This match is dedicated to those who thought we had a good draw and that our path to the next round would be easy. We deserved this victory and we deserved to advance, but it was definitely an extremely tough match. By the end of the game, all the players were exhausted."

"Of course, we still have a lot of room for improvement, but the team showed great resilience. The players were exhausted from playing extra time, and some even had cramps. However, as long as they have a fighting spirit, they can overcome any difficulty. This team showed its character and proved its worth."

Speaking about the match, Scaloni said, "At that moment, I just wanted the game to end quickly. As everyone saw, the opponent scored such a brilliant goal. I remained vigilant throughout, and in fact, I was much calmer inside than I appeared on the outside. Everyone thought it would be an easy win, but we knew from the beginning that it would not be."

"The most valuable thing about this team is that they never stop and always keep fighting. The players always put their hearts and souls into the game and keep attacking. The field conditions for this game were quite special. The speed of the ball was completely different from what we are used to, so the field conditions were not ideal."

Scaloni also stated, "Cape Verde gave 200%, and that was enough to close the gap between the two sides in the game. Our fans understand this best because as Argentina, nothing is ever easy. We will continue to move forward, and after experiencing games like this, we will only become stronger and continue to advance."

Furthermore, Cape Verde coach Bubista stated, "We did not disappoint our country. Facing the world champions, we equalized twice and forced the game into extra time. I am proud of our players; they showed dignity on the World Cup stage and demonstrated who we belong."

Image source: Internet