Argentina survived one of their toughest tests of the 2026 World Cup by beating Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in the round of 32.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute, but Cape Verde twice fought back to push the defending champions into a dramatic extra-time battle in Miami.
The match was settled by an own goal in the second period of extra time after a Messi corner, allowing Cristian Romero and Argentina to escape with qualification.
The win came with a warning for Argentina before facing Egypt, as Cape Verde exposed problems in control and defensive stability.
Argentina will meet Egypt on July 7 at Atlanta Stadium in a high-profile round-of-16 tie between the holders and a history-making Egyptian side.