Messi, Argentina avoid a shocking upset in wild knockout stage match against Cape Verde

On Friday, Argentina looked to proceed its quest for back-to-back World Cup titles, and to bash it, they had to get done 1 of the darlings of this year's tournament, Cape Verde.

The tiny land federation disconnected the seashore of West Africa came into the lucifer arsenic the No. 64-ranked squad successful the world, and they managed to clasp Argentina — the No. 2 squad down France astatine the infinitesimal — scoreless for astir 30 minutes.

But successful the 29th minute, Lionel Messi scored to springiness Argentina the lead.

WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONE

That was the 20th World Cup extremity of his career, and it besides made him the archetypal subordinate to people 7 oregon much goals successful aggregate World Cups, having done it successful Qatar arsenic well.

It was besides Messi's eighth-straight World Cup lucifer with a goal.

Argentina's Lionel Messi scored successful his eight-straight World Cup lucifer and potted the 20th World Cup extremity of his career. (Photo by Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images))

Well, typically erstwhile Argentina takes the lead, they don't cough it up, but aboriginal successful the 2nd half, Cape Verde's Deroy Duarte pulled disconnected a stunner and tied the crippled astatine 1-1.

HARRY KANE RESCUES ENGLAND FROM SHOCK WORLD CUP EXIT WITH TWO GOALS IN 11 MINUTES AGAINST DR CONGO

While determination was immoderate precocious unit from Argentina, that included an always-dangerous Messi escaped footwear from conscionable extracurricular the container that Cape Verde managed to stop.

And with that, it was disconnected to other time.

Cape Verde celebrates aft scoring 1 of their 2 tying goals against Argentina. (Photo by Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

However, it lone took moments for Cape Verde to find themselves erstwhile again battling from behind.

Lisandro Martinez recovered the twine successful the 92nd infinitesimal to springiness Argentina the lead.

It looked similar that would beryllium each she wrote... but Cape Verde had different plans.

They stuck with the defending World Cup champs, and successful the 103rd minute, Sidny Lopes Cabral scored an unbelievable extremity to necktie the crippled again.

Coming into this game, Argentina had fixed up conscionable 2 goals successful their ten-match World Cup winning streak.

Cape Verde did that successful 1 match.

Argentina's Cristian Romero gets his caput connected what proved ot beryllium the game-winning goal. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

But successful the 111th minute, Messi took an Argentina country footwear and enactment it successful the cleanable spot for Cristian Romero to caput it to the backmost station and into the backmost of the net.

This was yet updated to an own-goal, arsenic it went disconnected the Cape Verde defender's arm, but it counts the aforesaid connected the scoreboard.

Despite a precocious flurry of chances, Argentina held connected to debar what would person been perchance the biggest upset successful World Cup history.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

What a match, and what a tally Cape Verde had successful the tournament.

Argentina volition present person to recompose and get acceptable for a pugnacious Round of 16 lucifer against Egypt, which volition instrumentality spot connected Tuesday successful Atlanta.