‘They Kick The Crap Out Of Me’ – Messi Reacts To Cape Verde Vs Argentina Clash

Lionel Messi admitted Cape Verde made Argentina work for every inch of their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 win, joking that the same players who battered him throughout the match were asking for his shirt afterwards.

The defending champions survived a huge scare before edging the World Cup debutants 3-2 after extra time, with an own goal finally ending one of the tournament’s toughest games.

Messi gave Argentina the perfect start by scoring his seventh goal of the competition, but Cape Verde refused to fold. They twice wiped out Argentina’s lead and pushed the reigning champions to the brink of a shock exit.

Lisandro Martinez restored Argentina’s advantage after the break, only for Lopes Cabral to produce a stunning equaliser that forced extra time. Argentina eventually prevailed when a Cape Verde defender, Diney, diverted a corner into his own net.

Messi revealed just how physical the encounter had been, laughing at the contrast between the fierce tackling on the pitch and the requests that followed the final whistle.

“They asked for my jersey, everything… On the field, they kick the crap out of me,” Messi said after the 3-2 win.

The Argentina captain said Cape Verde’s display did not come as a surprise, pointing to their performances earlier in the tournament against Spain and Uruguay as proof they were capable of troubling the world’s best.

“This team has been demonstrating this for a long time, it competes and will compete until the end,” Messi said.

“We saw the importance of set pieces, which we hadn’t been converting well lately. In matches like this, it’s important. We have good headers, players who are good in the air.

“We were able to take advantage of it, and it’s going to be important. We’ve been working on it for a while, both offensively and defensively. In a competition like this, it’s important.”