‘On field, they kick the crap out of me’: Messi jokes with Cape Verde players

3 min readJul 4, 2026 05:19 PM IST

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1), center, greets Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) after the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

After Cape Verde gave Argentina an almighty scare before succumbing to an own goal to lose a tight Round of 32 match 3-2 in Extra Time, Lionel Messi was all praises for the World Cup debutants after the contest. After the match when he was taking photos with the Cape Verde players, an usually stoic Messi also cracked a joke that their opponents ‘kicked the crap out of him during the match and were now asking for selfies and his jersey.”

“They asked for my jersey, everything. On the field, they kick the crap out of me,” Messi said as quoted by Goal.com who quoted from Tyc Sports.

It took a goal and an assist from Messi, including the game-winner that came off a corner kick midway through the second half of extra time, to save Argentina from what would have been one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.

La belleza del fútbol cuando se juega limpio.

Los jugadores de Cabo Verde esperaron la salida de Messi para tomarse fotos.

Y Messi bromea: “en la cancha me cagan a patadas y después me piden fotos… Jajaj noooo, mentira” 😂

Grandes jugadores y grandes personas. pic.twitter.com/BbdKvj3fXf

— Rodolfo Asar (@rodolfoasar) July 4, 2026

“Well, honestly, we knew it was going to be a very tough game. It is no coincidence that this team had not lost to Spain or Uruguay,” Messi said after being named Player of the Match.

Messi’s goal was the 20th of his World Cup career, extending his own record and moving him two clear of France’s Kylian Mbappé on the all-time list.

Reflecting on the game, Messi added, “We did the hardest thing, which was getting that first goal. We thought that after that we would find our rhythm and be more relaxed, but it was the complete opposite.

“At times we lost possession, we sat back a bit too much, and we could not press them effectively. They used their strengths to strike. We knew it would be difficult. This is knockout football, and nobody gives you anything for free.

“While some might dismiss certain teams based on their name, we knew it would not be easy at all. That’s the nature of this World Cup. Everything is very even, very complicated, and every match is incredibly tough.”

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