![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/lcimg-3bdf1269-7079-4d4d-848a-86a4fdaabc5d.jpeg\")
(Getty Images)<\/p>\nLionel Messi’s sensational World Cup will continue as his Argentina faces Cabo Verde, before Colombia battles Ghana.<\/p>\n
Follow all the action in our live blog.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 7:53am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 7:53am<\/p>\n
Argentina vs Cabo Verde liveSat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:44am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:44am<\/p>\n
81′ What a clearance from Cabo Verde<\/p>\n
Almost an own goal, but it’s an incredible block by Pico Lopes.<\/p>\n
The cross comes in and Lopes sticks a leg out and puts it behind.<\/p>\n
It just went the right side of the post and out for a corner.<\/p>\n
A stunning piece of defending denied Argentina a tap-in.<\/p>\n
Cabo Verde hanging on a little here.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:42am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:42am<\/p>\n
79′ Is this game going to extra time?<\/p>\n
Argentina are pressing but not creating a lot.<\/p>\n
Cabo Verde about 10 minutes away from taking the game into extra time.<\/p>\n
I don’t think anyone predicted that.<\/p>\n
Fair to say it would be one of the World Cup’s biggest ever shocks if Argentina lose this.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:35am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:35am<\/p>\n
72′ Messi denied by keeper again<\/p>\n
Messi curls a free-kick towards the top corner and Vozinha scampers to his left to claw it away.<\/p>\n
That leads us into the hydration break.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:33am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:33am<\/p>\n
71′ World Cup shock<\/p>\n
No one expected this.<\/p>\n
The World Cup holders being held by Cabo Verde.<\/p>\n
The goal seems to have woken up Argentina who has started attacking more.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:24am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:24am<\/p>\n
62′ Messi denied by brilliant save<\/p>\n
You’d put your house on Messi there.<\/p>\n
He’s clear on goal, looks odds on to make it 2-1.<\/p>\n
But he’s denied by a fantastic save from 40-year-old Vozinha.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:20am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:20am<\/p>\n
59′ CABO VERDE EQUALISES!(Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Argentina are stunned.<\/p>\n
It had been coming.<\/p>\n
The ball comes into the box and Deroy Duarte drills it into the bottom corner.<\/p>\n
The shoot went through Lisandro Martinez’s legs.<\/p>\n
The Cabo Verde adventure continues.<\/p>\n
The holders are rocked.<\/p>\n
Some Cabo Verde fans are in tears.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:17am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:17am<\/p>\n
54′ Argentina keeper makes save<\/p>\n
Cabo Verde’s first shot on target.<\/p>\n
Emiliano Martinez gets down to keep out Laros Duarte’s shot from distance.<\/p>\n
Decent chance for Cabo Verde.<\/p>\n
They’ve been the best team in the second half so far.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:11am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:11am<\/p>\n
50′ Early pressure from Cabo Verde<\/p>\n
A few attacks for\u00a0Cabo Verde early on.<\/p>\n
Just unable to create a chance.<\/p>\n
They get a corner, but the ball is cleared.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:06am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:06am<\/p>\n
Second half kicks off in MiamiSat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:00am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 9:00am<\/p>\n
Messi doing Messi things<\/p>\n
Seven goals in this World Cup.<\/p>\n
How do you stop the 39-year-old?<\/p>\n
He spends most of the game walking around but is always in the right place at the right time to score.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:50am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:50am<\/p>\n
HT: Messi goal the difference as Argentina leads Cabo Verde<\/p>\n
Half-time in Miami.<\/p>\n
Lionel Messi’s goal the difference.<\/p>\n
Argentina has been on top but still only one goal in it.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:46am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:46am<\/p>\n
Four minutes of stoppage timeSat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:44am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:44am<\/p>\n
42′ Cabo Verde attacks breaking down<\/p>\n
Cabo Verde has got into some decent positions but the final ball has been a letdown.<\/p>\n
A cross comes in from the right, but there is nobody to get on the end of it.<\/p>\n
Just lacking a bit of quality and composure in attack.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:38am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:38am<\/p>\n
Messi goal ‘genius at work’<\/p>\n
Cabo Verde had been doing well in the early stages of the match.<\/p>\n
Not much they could have done about that goal.<\/p>\n
Scotland legend\u00a0Ally McCoist tells ITV in the UK that it was “genius at work”.<\/p>\n
He’s not wrong.<\/p>\n
It’s the eighth successive World Cup match that Messi has scored in.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:29am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:29am<\/p>\n
29′ Messi scores a brilliant goal!![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/lcimg-af49191b-4153-4785-8930-b4116d46bf3c.jpeg\")
(Getty Images)<\/p>\n
It had to be him!<\/p>\n
What a brilliant goal.<\/p>\n
Lisandro Martinez with an unbelievable ball into the box.<\/p>\n
Messi controls it dead then lifts it into the net.<\/p>\n
What a fantastic goal.<\/p>\n
Messi’s seventh goal of this World Cup, one clear of Kylian Mbappe in the golden boot race.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:26am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:26am<\/p>\n
25′ First hydration break in MiamiSat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:21am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:21am<\/p>\n
18′ Messi bends free-kick straight at keeper<\/p>\n
Messi is lucky to get a free-kick just outside of the area.<\/p>\n
There’s only one man who was ever going to take it.<\/p>\n
Messi steps up but bends it straight into the hands of Vozinha.<\/p>\n
Easy save for the Cabo Verde keeper.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:16am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:16am<\/p>\n
15′ Messi’s first chance<\/p>\n
Lionel Messi has had a quiet start but he had half a chance there.<\/p>\n
He got free in the box but dragged his left-foot shot wide.<\/p>\n
An early sighter for the 39-year-old.<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:08am<\/p>\n
Sat 4 Jul 2026 at 8:08am<\/p>\n
7′ Even start to the game<\/p>\n
Cabo Verde don’t look overawed at all.<\/p>\n
Lionel Messi is yet to get in the game.<\/p>\n
Cabo Verde are defending well and have made a few darts forward.<\/p>\n