Argentina, positioned second among world rankings, faced unexpectedly strong resistance from Cape Verde in a World Cup knockout encounter. The island nation, ranked 64th globally, had emerged as a tournament crowd favourite and executed a disciplined defensive performance, managing to keep Argentina at bay through the opening thirty minutes despite the substantial gap in international standing between the two sides.

Lionel Messi resolved the stalemate in the 29th minute with a goal that extended his World Cup tally to twenty. The breakthrough provided Argentina with decisive momentum as they pursued their objective of securing consecutive world championships.