Argentina's 3-2 victory over Cabo Verde after 120 minutes in the 1/16 round of the 2026 World Cup not only attracted attention by the exciting score chase but also by the moment Lionel Messi approached to hug and chat with goalkeeper Vozinha after the final whistle.
Throughout the match, Messi and Vozinha created a remarkable confrontation. The Argentine captain opened the score in the 29th minute, but was also repeatedly denied by the Cabo Verde goalkeeper with excellent saves. Vozinha closed the match with 8 saves, contributing to helping the African representative drag the defending champion into extra time.
Immediately after the match ended, Messi actively shook hands and hugged Vozinha to show respect for his opponent. This image was quickly widely shared on social networks and received many positive feedbacks from fans.
Sharing after the match, Messi admitted that Argentina had gone through a difficult confrontation against Cabo Verde.
We know this will be a very difficult match. It's no coincidence that they never lost to Spain or Uruguay. We did the most important thing, which is to score, but then lost the rhythm and made the match more complicated," Messi said.
On the Cape Verde side, Vozinha also showed special respect for the Argentine captain. The 39-year-old goalkeeper revealed that Messi was the one who actively approached to chat right after the match.
He hugged me and said:'Good job. You are a very good goalkeeper. Your people should be proud of you'," Vozinha shared.
According to this veteran goalkeeper, he thanked Messi and expressed his admiration for the world champion. After that, Vozinha asked to exchange his jersey and received a nod from the Argentine superstar, with the promise to hand over the jersey in the stadium tunnel.
Besides scoring goals to help Argentina qualify for the round of 16, Messi continues to extend his scoring record at World Cups. His beautiful action for Vozinha after the match also received many compliments from experts and fans.
Despite stopping in the round of 16, Cabo Verde still left many marks in their first appearance in the knockout round of the World Cup. In particular, goalkeeper Vozinha's performance against Argentina's attack is considered one of the bright spots of the African team.
