Defending World Cup champion Argentina and Lionel Messi are pushed to the limit in extra time before edging tiny Cape Verde 3-2 in an instant classic.

Lionel Messi's World Cup goals roadshow continued with his seventh of the tournament for Argentina against Cape Verde - and delighted the fans who were in Miami to see their hero.

Fans outside still chanted and cheered.

Argentina and Cape Verde are set to face off Friday in a Round of 32 match at the 2026 World Cup, with fans already gathering in South Florida hoping to catch a glimpse of one of soccer’s biggest stars.

An Inter Miami player since 2023, Lionel Messi is a key figure in U.S. soccer. Even if he remains a secondary character in the North American sports landscape, he is on home turf in Florida, where

Lionel Messi, at age 39, leads the World Cup Golden Boot race with seven goals after his first-half goal vs. Cape Verde on Friday in Miami.

For the moment, Argentina’s Lionel Messi has scored the most total goals in the history of the FIFA World Cup, with 19 goals. But French player Kylian Mbappé isn’t far behind, with 18 goals. Friday’s match in Miami featuring Argentina against Cape Verde is crucial for Messi to continue his race in maintaining the record.

Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano are together again, this time with Inter Miami. The former Barcelona and Argentina teammates have reunited, with Inter Miami announcing Tuesday that Mascherano's hiring as the club's new coach is complete.

MIAMI, July 3 : Lionel Messi stole the World Cup spotlight once again as Argentina edged Cape Verde 3-2 in an extra-time thriller on Friday, but his virtuoso display only reaffirmed the perception that the reigning champions are still overly reliant on one man.Messi had guided Argentina to a long-awaited titl