MUNDIAL·26

Round of 32 · Friday, July 3 · Miami Stadium, Miami · 64,478 in the stands

kickoff 18:00 local · 28°C · 76% humidity

Argentina

29′ Lionel MESSI (pen)

92′ Lisandro MARTINEZ (pen)

111′ (og)

3:2

after extra time

Cabo Verde

59′ DEROY DUARTE (pen)

103′ SIDNY LOPES CABRAL (pen)

tap a player for their match file

Argentina4-4-2
Cabo Verde4-1-4-1
Emiliano MARTINEZ6.1Lisandro MARTINEZ9.1Cristian ROMERO6.5Facundo MEDINA6.3Nahuel MOLINA5.6Rodrigo DE PAUL6.5Alexis MAC ALLISTER7.2Enzo FERNANDEZ6.9Lionel MESSI8.8Thiago ALMADA6.0Lautaro MARTINEZ6.2VOZINHA6.6DINEY BORGES5.8PICO LOPES6.6SIDNY LOPES CABRAL7.9STEVEN MOREIRA6.4KEVIN PINA6.5JOVANE CABRAL6.1DEROY DUARTE7.4LAROS DUARTE6.5NUNO DA COSTA6.3RYAN MENDES6.7
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′105′124′ARGCPV

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 29′Messi0.25 xG
  • 59′D. Duarte0.05 xG
  • 92′Martinez0.05 xG
  • 103′S. Cabral0.03 xG
  • 111′Borges0.03 xG
ARG 0:0 CPV0'kickoff
7' R. Mendes — xG 0.05 · Blocked15' Messi — xG 0.08 · Missed18' Messi — xG 0.05 · Saved29' Messi — xG 0.25 · Goal45' Fernandez — xG 0.06 · Saved49' J. Cabral — xG 0.02 · Blocked50' R. Mendes — xG 0.01 · Missed54' D. Duarte — xG 0.03 · Saved59' D. Duarte — xG 0.05 · Goal63' Messi — xG 0.49 · Saved67' Fernandez — xG 0.03 · Missed69' Messi — xG 0.04 · Blocked73' Messi — xG 0.13 · Saved73' Gonzalez — xG 0.11 · Missed78' Lenini — xG 0.03 · Missed84' Gonzalez — xG 0.12 · Missed87' MacAllister — xG 0.02 · Blocked89' MacAllister — xG 0.11 · Blocked90 + 2' Paredes — xG 0.02 · Saved92' Martinez — xG 0.05 · Goal90 + 5' Messi — xG 0.07 · Saved90 + 5' Fernandez — xG 0.15 · Saved97' Borges — xG 0.03 · Missed97' Moreira — xG 0.03 · Blocked98' Messi — xG 0.10 · Blocked98' Alvarez — xG 0.06 · Blocked99' Fernandez — xG 0.03 · Blocked103' S. Cabral — xG 0.03 · Goal105 + 1' Messi — xG 0.13 · Saved105 + 1' Montiel — xG 0.09 · Blocked108' Y. Semedo — xG 0.02 · Missed111' Romero — xG 0.12 · Missed111' Borges — xG 0.00 · Goal114' W. Semedo — xG 0.02 · Blocked116' S. Cabral — xG 0.04 · Saved119' Borges — xG 0.01 · Saved120 + 1' Varela — xG 0.02 · Blocked120 + 2' Jamiro — xG 0.05 · Blocked120 + 2' Varela — xG 0.03 · Missed

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

ARG 0:0 CPV
1.02.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′105′120′29' Messi — GOAL59' D. Duarte — GOAL92' Martinez — GOAL103' S. Cabral — GOAL111' Borges — GOAL2.310.47

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

ARG 4-4-2 attack →, ← CPV 4-1-4-1 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

23Emiliano MARTINEZEmiliano MARTINEZ6Lisandro MARTINEZLisandro MARTINEZ13Cristian ROMEROCristian ROMERO25Facundo MEDINAFacundo MEDINA26Nahuel MOLINANahuel MOLINA7Rodrigo DE PAULRodrigo DE PAUL20Alexis MAC ALLISTERAlexis MAC ALLISTER24Enzo FERNANDEZEnzo FERNANDEZ10Lionel MESSILionel MESSI16Thiago ALMADAThiago ALMADA22Lautaro MARTINEZLautaro MARTINEZ1VOZINHAVOZINHA3DINEY BORGESDINEY BORGES4PICO LOPESPICO LOPES13SIDNY LOPES CABRALSIDNY LOPES CABRAL22STEVEN MOREIRASTEVEN MOREIRA6KEVIN PINAKEVIN PINA7JOVANE CABRALJOVANE CABRAL14DEROY DUARTEDEROY DUARTE15LAROS DUARTELAROS DUARTE21NUNO DA COSTANUNO DA COSTA20RYAN MENDESRYAN MENDES

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

59%
Possession
34%
2.73
Expected goals
0.52
65
Threat
35
22
Shots
16
12
On target
5
800
Passes completed
425
51
Forced turnovers
45
15.2s
Ball recovery time
25.1s
8.52
High-press phases
1.75
12
Fouls committed
12
3
Offsides
2
141 km
Distance covered
141 km
33.5 km/h
Top speed
33.6 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. Argentina attack →, ← Cabo Verde attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 29′Lionel MESSI (Argentina) scores!!
  2. 59′DEROY DUARTE (Cabo Verde) scores!!
  3. 63′Nico GONZALEZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Thiago ALMADA (out) (Argentina)
  4. 63′Julian ALVAREZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Lautaro MARTINEZ (out) (Argentina)
  5. 67′DAILON LIVRAMENTO (in) comes off the bench to replace NUNO DA COSTA (out) (Cabo Verde)
  6. 67′JAMIRO MONTEIRO (in) comes off the bench to replace LAROS DUARTE (out) (Cabo Verde)
  7. 68′KEVIN PINA (Cabo Verde) is booked by the referee.
  8. 80′HELIO VARELA (in) comes off the bench to replace JOVANE CABRAL (out) (Cabo Verde)
  9. 80′WILLY SEMEDO (in) comes off the bench to replace RYAN MENDES (out) (Cabo Verde)
  10. 84′Leandro PAREDES (in) comes off the bench to replace Rodrigo DE PAUL (out) (Argentina)
  11. 85′Nicolas TAGLIAFICO (in) comes off the bench to replace Facundo MEDINA (out) (Argentina)
  12. 92′Lisandro MARTINEZ (Argentina) scores!!
  13. 100′GILSON BENCHIMOL (in) comes off the bench to replace KEVIN PINA (out) (Cabo Verde)
  14. 100′YANNICK SEMEDO (in) comes off the bench to replace DEROY DUARTE (out) (Cabo Verde)
  15. 103′SIDNY LOPES CABRAL (Cabo Verde) scores!!
  16. 104′Gonzalo MONTIEL (in) comes off the bench to replace Nahuel MOLINA (out) (Argentina)
  17. 111′DINEY BORGES (Cabo Verde) scores an own goal.
  18. 115′Gonzalo MONTIEL (Argentina) is booked by the referee.

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

Argentina's Precision Problem Survives Cabo Verde's Shock

Argentina ran the match: 59 per cent possession, 22 shots, eight high-press bursts that recovered the ball every 15 seconds. Yet they were nearly mugged. Lionel Messi's opener at 29 seemed to have settled it, then Cabo Verde equalised at 59—a goal born of nothing, xG 0.05. Argentina restored order at 92, then the Cape Verdeans struck again, impossibly, at 103. An extra-time script entirely dictated by Lisandro Martinez's one-man defensive masterclass, until Argentina's third arrived at 111.

The numbers tell the story of a team that shot magnificently and finished poorly. Argentina's xG was 2.73; they needed 120 minutes to convert it to three goals. Alexis Mac Allister's mettle in midfield kept the press alive while Cabo Verde's Sidny Cabral, their best, couldn't orchestrate rescue from 0.52 xG. Two gilt-edged Argentina chances, xG 0.49 at 63 and 0.15 at 90+5, went begging. But Lisandro Martinez—rated 9.1—suffocated the Cape Verdean attack so thoroughly that even their audacity couldn't quite finish the job.

Argentina's 2.73 expected goals required 120 minutes to materialize, while Cabo Verde's 0.52 xG produced two genuine threats in the heart of extra time.

111′

Argentina's winner in extra time, separating two teams from different galaxies of resource.

What Argentina needed

Dominance was never in doubt, but finishing cost them 90 minutes of heartburn.

  • Martinez's 9.1 rating held a fortress; without him, Cabo Verde's 0.52 xG becomes a threat.
  • Eight high-press phases forced 51 turnovers; the press won the midfield battle decisively.
  • Two missed big chances (0.49 and 0.15 xG) at 63 and 90+5—ruthless sides bury those in 90.

What Cabo Verde needed

Scripted a miracle on scraps, yet the gap in possession control proved fatal.

  • Recovery time: 25.1 seconds vs Argentina's 15.2 meant they never owned the midfield.
  • Sidny Cabral's 7.9 rating was valiant, but one bright player cannot overcome a 2.21 xG deficit.
  • Two goals from 0.52 xG was extraordinary; one more chance earlier and this shifts entirely.