BREAKING | July 4, 2026 | Football
Last night in Miami, Lionel Messi did the impossible — again. Messi scored his 20th career FIFA World Cup goal in Argentina’s round of 32 match against Cape Verde, making him the first player — man or woman — to reach that landmark in World Cup history. It brought his tournament-leading tally to seven goals.
Argentina needed extra time to beat Cape Verde 3-2, with the minnows equalising twice before Diney Borges’s own goal in the 111th minute gave the defending champions the winner.
The goal that made history came in the 29th minute. Messi breathtakingly controlled a Martinez pass into the box with the outside of his left boot before swiftly flicking the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper Vozinha. He became the first World Cup player to score in eight consecutive appearances.
What Cape Verde gave the world last night was one of the tournament’s greatest stories. The tiny island nation of just over half a million people fought back from a goal down not once but twice, and looked every bit Argentina’s equals as the game wore on. Their 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha — who pla
Messi is the first player to score seven or more goals in multiple World Cup editions. He scored seven in 2022. He currently leads the Golden Boot race, one ahead of Mbappe.
Cape Verde is the 14th opponent Messi has scored against, extending his record for the most opponents scored against by a single player in World Cup history.
Argentina next face Egypt in the round of 16 in Atlanta on Tuesday, July 7. The GOAT marches on — and the whole world, including India’s 30 crore football fans watching on late-night screens, watches with him.
All data sourced from ESPN, Fox Sports, and NBC Sports as of July 3–4, 2026.
