Messi Jokes About Being Kicked Before Shirt Requests After Argentina's Win Over Cape Verde

Lionel Messi showed a friendly gesture toward the Cape Verde players following their World Cup 2026 match.

After Argentina's hard-fought 3-2 win over Cape Verde in Miami during the round of 32 on Saturday morning, Messi took photos with the Cape Verde players.

Messi passed through the mixed zone after the game, where several African team players waited to take commemorative photos with the Rosario star, who agreed to all their requests.

Speaking to TyC Sports, Messi joked about the moment: "On the field, they kicked me 20 times and now they are asking for my shirt."

Messi was again the standout player for Argentina, opening the scoring against Cape Verde to reach 20 goals in World Cup tournaments, extending his record as the top scorer in the competition's history.

The Inter Miami captain leads the 2026 World Cup scoring chart with seven goals.

Argentina is set to face Egypt next Tuesday in a highly anticipated round of 16 match at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.