Messi on Argentina “playing badly” at the World Cup

“We knew it was going to be a tough game, this team hadn’t lost to Spain or Uruguay for a reason,” he said. He being Lionel Messi, 8-time Ballon d’Or winner and in many people’s eyes the best player ever to play the game. “The game” was the World Cup Round of 32, with his Argentina the defending champions of the world.

“This team” were Cape Verde, and “the reason” was that they are very, very good at football.

The tiny island nation have been labelled a “tiny island nation” every day since their inclusion in the draw. And while it works as an adjective - and it’s true - they are indeed a small nation made up of various islands, it somewhat serves to set them up as a lesser footballing nation. Before the World Cup, they were; now things are different.

To get to the biggest tournament on Earth, Cape Verde romped African qualifying, losing just once in 10 games and finishing above bigger, more established countries such as Nigeria. For comparison, Nigeria’s second city, Lagos, has around 40 times more people than the entire archipelago.

Messi on “many bad” moments for Argentina

And Messi was right: Cape Verde are good. Twice they came back against Argentina to lose by a single goal after taking the game to extra-time. “We put in a huge effort,” Messi said through heavy breaths after the final whistle. “As always, playing well and playing badly, just like we always say.”

“But I think the important thing now is to rest, think about what’s coming next and try to take positives from today’s game. Beyond just qualifying, I think there are positives because we did some good things, and we also need to correct the bad ones, which I think were many today as well.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy at all, and that’s what this World Cup, in particular, is all about. It’s very evenly matched, very complicated, and every game is going to be extremely difficult.”

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.