Argentina captain Lionel Messi said his side always expected a difficult match after their dramatic 3-2 extra time win over Cape Verde in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
Messi, who was named Player of the Match, praised Cape Verde and said Argentina never underestimated the tournament debutants despite entering the game as clear favourites.
“Honestly, we already knew this was going to be a very difficult match. It wasn’t a coincidence that this team didn’t lose to Spain or Uruguay.”
Messi scored Argentina’s opening goal but admitted his side failed to build on that advantage.
“Scoring the first goal was the hardest part, and we thought it would help us control the game and play with more calm, but the exact opposite happened.”
“We lost possession at times, dropped a little too deep, and couldn’t press them the way we wanted. They took advantage of their strengths and found the equalizer. We knew this was always going to be a complicated game.”
The 39-year-old said knockout football leaves no room for mistakes and every team in the tournament deserves respect.
“These are knockout matches, nobody gives you anything for free. Some people might underestimate certain teams because of their names, but we knew this was never going to be an easy match.”
“That’s what makes this World Cup so special. Everything is incredibly close, and every single game is extremely difficult.”
Messi also praised the effort shown by his teammates as Argentina secured their place in the next round.
“As always, we gave everything we had, regardless of whether we played well or didn’t produce our best football.”
Looking ahead, the Argentina captain said the team’s focus has already shifted to the next challenge.
“Now the most important thing is to recover, focus on the next match, and take the positives from today’s game.”
