Afghanistan, July 4 -- Reigning champions Argentina advanced to the FIFA World Cup round of 16 after a tense 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde on Friday in Miami Gardens, Florida, ending the debutants' historic run after one of the tournament's most dramatic knockout matches.
Argentina, defending the title it won in Qatar in 2022, was forced to recover from two Cape Verde equalizers before a late own goal settled the round-of-32 contest. The result sends Lionel Scaloni's side into a round-of-16 match against Egypt on Tuesday in Atlanta.
Lionel Messi, returning to the starting lineup after being rested in Argentina's previous match, opened the scoring in the 29th minute. Lisandro Martinez sent a long ball over the Cape Verde defense, ...