Lionel Messi scored Argentina’s opening goal against Cape Verde in the Round of 32, reaching 20 World Cup goals. Lionel Messi continues to prove, match after match, that he’s Argentina’s most important player. The captain scored his team’s opening goal in the Round of 32 clash against Cape Verde, giving Argentina a partial lead and putting them on course for the next round.
After roughly 30 minutes of Cape Verde showing a solid defense, Lisandro Martinez placed an excellent through ball that Messi received inside the box, controlling it before unleashing a powerful shot that left Vozinha with no chance.
With that strike, the Argentine legend moves into the lead as this edition’s top scorer with seven goals, and extends his own record as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 20 goals.
MESSI GOOOAAL TO GIVE ARGENTINA THE LEAD 🐐Lionel Messi scores his 20th career FIFA World Cup goal to make it 1-0 over Cape Verde! pic.twitter.com/ewqsqO5Sl9— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 3, 2026
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