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SEATTLE — Surrounded by his U.S. men’s national team players, Mauricio Pochettino went right down the middle. On the eve of America’s 250th birthday, the Argentine-born coach celebrated America’s pastime by throwing out the first pitch at the Seattle Mariners game. The sold-out crowd, many wearing red-and-white striped USA soccer jerseys, cheered for both their coach and their team. “That sort of stuff can only happen in America,” a smiling Folarin Balogun said earlier on Friday. The U.S. squad has become a source of national pride as Americans gather to celebrate the Fourth of July. Its run so far at this World Cup on home soil — with Belgium waiting in the round of 16 here on Monday — has given supporters across the country something to rally around, a welcome contrast to the often-divisive news cycle. From fans all over the world learning about Waffle House and ranch dressing, to Scotland’s Tartan Army taking over Boston, to Pochettino joining his players in singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” this tournament has delivered plenty of memorable moments. “It’s a place that is exactly as advertised in a lot of ways — it’s free, it’s beautiful, the people are nice and kind,” U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner told a small group of reporters after the victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Of course, everywhere you go in the world, there are scary stories. But to actually have seen some people having the time of their lives in our country, it’s been amazing. “People are always saying, ‘What do you want from this World Cup?’ And I just say I want us to be gracious hosts and good stewards to people who come to the United States and really feel our culture, and I want us to welcome these people with open arms. I think we’ve done a great job. Lifelong memories for a lot of people.” There were questions entering this tournament about how Americans would receive the World Cup and whether soccer would capture everyone’s attention. The long-term impact won’t be known for years — advancing to the quarterfinals or further will help. But the short-term one is undeniable. Hotel guests in Seattle gathered in a lobby to watch Egypt outlast Australia in a penalty shootout. Dallas police officers greeted Norway by performing the “Viking Row” on the airport tarmac. Social media erupted as Cape Verde pushed defending champion Argentina to the brink of penalties. The U.S. players have felt that energy throughout the tournament and want to channel it on the field. “The fact that it’s here on our shores, the fan passion is coming to light, we’re creating our own new sort of things with ‘Country Roads’ after the game — it’s like the college football scene mixing with the U.S. [Soccer] scene,” Turner said. “And what I’ve loved about it is that it’s not like we’re trying to be that European culture. We’re not saying we need to chant like the English chant, or chant like the Germans chant. We’re taking on our own traditions and cultures, and I think that’s the way it should be. We really needed this tournament in order to find our identity alongside our fans.” Even Pochettino — who played with Diego Maradona and coached at Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea — is having a ball. He’s become a fan of country music, specifically Ella Langley, as well as Teddy Swims. He’s leading crowds in “U-S-A” cheers and learning new words, too. “Sometimes someone will say something to him in a meeting, and it sounds super American slang, and he’s like, ‘Huh?’” Christian Pulisic joked earlier in the tournament. “And I just find it so funny. But it feels like he’s really in tune with it. Like, I’m in his office yesterday, and he’s listening to country music, and it’s just funny to see. But then he also brings his Argentinian culture and the staff and shows us things from there. It’s a unique bond with the group for sure.” Pochettino’s now-famous “Why not us?” mantra has seeped into the team, reflecting a belief that fits within the American sporting identity. “We’re American, we don’t take s—,” Sebastian Berhalter said a few weeks ago when asked what ideals Pochettino has brought to the group. “Even though he’s Argentinian, he has that mindset of like, ‘Look, this is what we do, and this is who we are, and this is what America is about.’ I think even from an outside perspective, he showed us Americans what we’re about, and he really drills that into us.” A win against Belgium on Monday would be historic, marking the first time the U.S. has ever won two knockout games at a World Cup. The program’s best finish in the modern era was the quarterfinals in 2002. This team embraces the responsibility of keeping this journey going. “I think it’s exciting,” Tyler Adams told reporters Friday ahead of training. “I think as a team, we want to leave our mark on the game and a legacy behind. I want it to be more than just what this moment has created and the hype around it. If we’re talking about the team and the success they’ve had two years from now, then we’ve done something right. “We want to have success, and we know the further that we go, the more success we’re going to have and the growth of the game is going to grow.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Friday marked the final match day at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with at least three matches. It got a proper sendoff with one of the matches of the tournament so far between Argentina and Cape Verde, and a historic result for Mohamed Salah and Egypt. Here is everything you might have missed on Day 23 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup: BEST OF THE DAY Moment Of The Day Argentina and Cape Verde’s World Cup resumes could not have been more different entering Friday’s match. Argentina is hoping to win its second consecutive World Cup and fourth all-time, while Cape Verde is competing in the tournament for the first time ever. Argentina is ranked second in the world by FIFA; Cape Verde is ranked 64th. Argentina’s face is Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player of all time; Cape Verde’s face is Vozinha, a 40-year-old goalkeeper who played for Portuguese second division side GD Chaves last season. When the whistle blew and the ball kicked off, none of that mattered, resulting in the game of the tournament so far. Goal Of The Day Cape Verde needed a miracle to upset mighty Argentina. While it didn’t get the win, it got its miracle in Sidney Lopes Cabral’s extra-time equalizer. Cabral, from an impossible angle on the left edge of the penalty box, struck the ball with his right foot and curled it into the top right corner of Argentina’s goal. If the World Cup ended today, it would be the goal of the tournament. Assist Of The Day Lisandro Martínez earned his wages in Argentina’s hard-fought win vs. Cape Verde. Not only did Martínez score the goal that gave Argentina the lead to start extra time, but he created the opportunity for Messi’s goal with a brilliant ball from the back line. Messi did the rest, as he’s known to do. Save Of The Day Three goalkeepers in World Cup history have recorded two clean sheets at the age of 40 or older: England legend Peter Shilton, Italy legend Dino Zoff and now Cape Verde legend Vozinha. The keeper didn’t manage to keep a clean sheet against Argentina, but he did record eight saves, including this one to deny Messi from point-blank range. He leaves the tournament with 25 saves to his name, which leads all goalkeepers. Argentina vs. Cape Verde Australia vs. Egypt Colombia vs. Ghana​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The round of 16 gets underway at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday on a date when the host country will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding. The day begins in Houston, where Canada takes on an impressive Morocco team that has the ambition of making yet another deep run. The day then concludes in Philadelphia, just miles from where the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. In this match, pre-tournament France will aim to continue its dominant run at this World Cup when it takes on a Paraguay team that is fresh off its stunning elimination of Germany. Here is all you need to know for Saturday’s two matches. When: Saturday, July 4, 1 p.m. ET Where: Houston TV: FOX Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One Canada and Morocco will open the tournament’s round of 16 on Saturday at Houston Stadium in a rematch of a group stage game at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which the Moroccans won 2-1. Entering this tournament, Canada and Morocco had very different expectations and different histories at the World Cup. Canada arrived having lost all six World Cup matches in its history, but the past few years have seen the team take meaningful steps towards growth under American head coach Jesse Marsch. It had a run to the semifinals at the 2024 Copa América and is now into the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup after winning its first World Cup knockout stage match. Not everything has been smooth for the Canadians at this tournament, but the team has responded well when its back has been up against the wall. After a lackluster draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada responded with a 6-0 blowout win over Qatar to clinch a spot in the knockout stage. After a disappointing loss to Switzerland in the group stage finale, Canada emerged victorious after a hard-fought 1-0 win over South Africa on a late goal from Stephen Eustáquio. Canada has some impressive attackers in Jonathan David, Cyle Larin, and winger Tajon Buchanan, although all have been inconsistent during this tournament. Against Morocco, Marsch will need top performances from each. In addition, it remains to be seen what role Alphonso Davies will play. The Bayern Munich right back made his return from injury in South Africa when he subbed into the match in the 75th minute for his first minutes at the tournament. But he still might not be ready to start due to a lingering hamstring injury. For Canada to advance to the quarterfinals, it will need a historic upset as Morocco has lived up to the expectation that it can contend for this World Cup. After an impressive 1-1 draw with Brazil, where it was the better team for long stretches, Morocco rounded out its group stages with a 1-0 win over Scotland and a 4-2 win over Haiti. But Morocco’s round of 32 match against the Netherlands was one of the tournament’s best games so far. The Netherlands took the lead against the run of play before Morocco equalized late in stoppage time through a goal from central defender Issa Diop. Diop only switched his national team representation from France to Morocco just before final rosters were due. After controlling most of the game, Morocco prevailed in a shootout. This Morocco team is extremely talented and has only improved after its run to the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Forward Ismael Saibari scored three goals in the group stage and earlier this week sealed his transfer to Bayern Munich from PSV Eindhoven. Meanwhile, Achraf Hakimi of Paris St. Germain is one of the best right backs in the world, Brahim Díaz is a talented winger for Real Madrid, and teenage central midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is one of the top young players at this tournament. Morocco is the heavy favorite in this game and while Canada lost its home-field advantage by not winning its group, plenty of Canadians should be in Texas to support the team. Player to Watch The Spanish-born Paris Saint-Germain right back is elite at pushing forward into the attack. If Davies cannot play for Canada, or if he is not close to full strength, Hakimi should have plenty of time and space to be a threat on the right side. He has been exceptional in this tournament and has played every minute of Morocco’s four games. When: Saturday, July 4, 5 p.m. ET Where: Philadelphia TV: FOX Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One A spot in the quarterfinals is on the line when pre-tournament favorites France battles Paraguay on Saturday in what should be an extremely hot night at Philadelphia Stadium. Paraguay arrives in this game against all odds, but its best moments have come in two shocking upsets over two European teams. In the group stages, Paraguay defended its way to a 1-0 win over Türkiye despite playing with 10 men for the entire second half. Then, in the round of 32, Paraguay turned in the biggest upset of the tournament thus far when it advanced past Germany in a shootout after the teams played to a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes. Under head coach Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay was able to quickly move past its opening 4-1 loss to the USA and find ways to grind out results against good teams. The team’s commitment to its defensive shape and structure. Against Germany, Paraguay frustrated Die Mannschaft, who had most of the possession but little in terms of dangerous chances. La Albirroja’s success stems from their midfielders and backline. Matias Galarza has been one of the team’s best players in the tournament. Galarza, whose loan to Atlanta United ended earlier in the World Cup, assisted on Julio Enciso’s goal against Germany, converted his shootout attempt and scored the winning goal against Türkiye. But it is not just Galarza and Enciso who have stood out. Paraguay’s backline of José Canale, Gustavo Gómez, Juan Cáceres and Júnior Alonso, along with goalkeeper Orlando Gil, have all been key to getting the team to the round of 16. However, Paraguay will face a test on an entirely different level when it takes on a French team that fields elite players at every single position. Kylian Mbappé has six goals from three braces at this World Cup. In the one game he did not score (against Norway), he picked up two assists. Mbappé and his chase to match Lionel Messi’s World Cup goals record might receive most of the limelight when people talk about this France team. However, the key to making France unstoppable has been getting Ousmane Dembélé going. Prior to the second group stage game against Iraq, Dembélé had never scored in a World Cup game. That changed with his goal and an assist against Iraq. He then notched a hat trick against Norway and picked up an assist in the 3-0 win over Sweden in the round of 32. Beyond Dembélé and Mbappé, the French talent is immense. Midfielder Michael Olise has been arguably the tournament’s best playmaker and winger Bradley Barcola has been effective, opening the game up with his skill. To pull off another shocking upset, Paraguay will need to play even better defense than it has, and it will need a lot of luck. The heat wave that is gripping the East Coast also throws a bit of unpredictability into the equation, as we don’t know how the teams will respond. Player to Watch With Paraguay sitting deep in a well-disciplined and compact formation, it will require elite playmaking to cut through it. Olise has five assists and he has been instrumental to the success of Mbappé and Dembélé at this tournament. The Bayern Munich star should once again be pulling the strings for France in this tournament.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

We’re down to the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, and it’s star-studded. There are a few underdogs in the hunt, but the biggest names and teams are still alive. That includes the stars of yesteryear who are still going strong, as well as the players who will define the next decade of the beautiful game. Here’s the one player you need to know from the 16 remaining teams at the World Cup before the next round begins on Saturday morning. Canada vs. Morocco Canada has made it this far without him, but a healthy and fit Davies takes Canada to another level. The Bayern Munich standout has elite speed and strength on the left wing, but injuries have derailed him in recent years. Davies made his first appearance of the World Cup in the second half against South Africa, coming on for a 20-minute cameo. The next milestone would seemingly be playing one half, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to do more than that when Canada is back in action on Saturday afternoon. Morocco’s do-it-all star on the right wing is a defender by name, but he might be the team’s best attacking threat. The 27-year-old is at Paris Saint-Germain, with which he has won the last two UEFA Champions Leagues. He’s one of the fastest players in the tournament but is also strong enough to hold his own on the ball. Ismael Saibari has scored twice in Morocco’s first four games and is reportedly on the way to Bayern Munich this summer, but Hakimi is still the player who makes Morocco tick. Paraguay vs. France The main thing to know about Paraguay is that it is a difficult team to break down. Since its 4-1 defeat to the United States, Paraguay has only allowed one goal in three matches against Türkiye, Australia and Germany. The key man in defense for Paraguay is Gómez. The center back is the team captain and personifies the team with his toughness and physicality. Gómez is also the captain at Palmeiras in Brazil, having played more than 400 games for the club since joining it in 2018. He also converted a penalty in the shootout win over Germany. At just 27 years old, Mbappé is already one of the best players in World Cup history. He has 18 goals, which is just one behind Lionel Messi for the most ever. With his two goals against Sweden, he became the all-time leader with 10 goals in knockout-stage matches. The French captain is coming off a disappointing season with Real Madrid, but he has six goals already at this World Cup and has shown why he’s one of the best players in the world. France has a plethora of attacking talent that includes Michael Olise, who already has five assists, and Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé. The headliner, though, is Mbappé. Brazil vs. Norway “Vini” has been the star man for Brazil so far with three goals and an assist through four games. He was kept off the scoresheet against Japan, but he was Brazil’s driving force as it came back to win and advance to the round of 16. The Real Madrid star has scored at least 21 goals in each of the last five seasons for Los Blancos. He plays on the left wing and is the go-to guy for Brazil. If this team is going to make a deep run in this tournament, it will be because Vini is playing well. No player in the tournament has a more prolific international goalscoring record than Haaland, who has scored 60 goals in 54 games for Norway. The Manchester City star is averaging more than 40 goals per season since making the move to the Premier League. Haaland doesn’t need to see much of the ball to make an impact. Against Iraq, he had 20 touches but still managed to score twice. In Norway’s next game against Senegal, he scored twice on 22 touches. Haaland now has five goals in three matches at the World Cup after scoring the winner against the Ivory Coast in the round of 32. Mexico vs. England Jiménez has been ever present for Mexico over the past nine years. He’s up to 127 appearances for El Tri and has 46 goals, which makes him the second-highest-scoring player in the team’s history. Jiménez and fellow striker Julián Quiñones have been the keys to Mexico’s attack. Quiñones opened the scoring against Ecuador before Jiménez popped up moments later and scored the game’s second goal. If Mexico is going to knock out England, chances are it will be thanks to a goal from Jiménez. England’s all-time-leading goalscorer is showing no signs of slowing down at this World Cup. Kane is up to 84 goals for England in his career, and he passed Gary Lineker to become the Three Lions’ all-time-leading scorer at the World Cup. Kane has a pair of two-goal performances, including in England’s last game against DR Congo. His second goal, which put his sharpness and striking ability on full display, won the game in the 86th minute. England faces a tough test in Mexico City against the host nation, but it would shock no one if Kane stepped up and found a goal in the most difficult conditions. USA vs. Belgium Pulisic has looked very sharp so far at the World Cup. Despite missing the second half of the USA’s win over Paraguay and the entirety of the win over Australia, Pulisic returned for a cameo against Türkiye and started against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The USA’s attack will go through him on the left wing whenever he’s on the field. The big name for the USA against Belgium will be striker Ricardo Pepi, who it is assumed will enter the starting lineup in place of the suspended Folarin Balogun. At just 23 years old, Pepi has already made 41 appearances with 13 goals for the national team. As far as backup strikers go, he’s one of the best. For the majority of the past decade, there has not been a better midfield playmaker than Kevin De Bruyne. The Manchester City legend won everything there is in the club game and led Belgium to a third-place finish in 2018. Now, De Bruyne is 35 and just finished his first season at Napoli, with which he only played 21 games. He was also substituted out of Belgium’s win over Senegal in the 56th minute. He is not the player he was, but De Bruyne is still capable of changing the game with a killer pass or strike from outside the box. Portugal vs. Spain The 41-year-old striker scored his first-ever goal in the World Cup knockout stage with a penalty against Croatia. He has three goals in four games, with the other two coming against Uzbekistan. Ronaldo has made 232 appearances for Portugal, which is the most national-team caps of any player at this World Cup. He is one of the best players of this generation and is the only one who is consistently listed alongside Lionel Messi. In what will likely be his last World Cup, Ronaldo now faces the reigning European champions, who are led in attack by a budding superstar. The 18-year-old Spanish winger took the world by storm at Euro 2024, when he starred in Spain’s run to the title. The Barcelona star starts on the right wing and attacks defenders with the ball better than any player in the tournament. A special shoutout to striker Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored twice against Austria and has been a hugely important player for La Roja. In the Euro 2024 final, it was Oyarzabal who scored the winner. Also, midfielder Rodri won the Ballon d’Or as the best player in the world in 2024 after Spain’s triumph. Argentina vs. Egypt The greatest of all time is still going strong. Messi leads the tournament with seven goals, including one in the thriller against Cape Verde on Friday night in Miami. That goal gives him 20 in his career at World Cups, extending his all-time lead entering the round of 16. Argentina still goes through Messi. The 38-year-old is looking to become the first World Cup captain ever to lift the trophy in two straight tournaments (Italy in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil in 1958 and 1962 had different captains in both tournaments). He’s doing his part so far. Salah is no longer at the peak of his powers, but this is the best Egypt has done at a World Cup with him. In 2018, Egypt lost all three games with the former Liverpool star coming off a 44-goal season for the English club. Now, Salah is 34 years old and looking for a new club after nine seasons with Liverpool. Egypt has had multiple players step up this tournament and hasn’t had to rely solely on Salah, but he’s still the captain and most recognizable name for a team that has the majority of its players play their club soccer in Egypt. Switzerland vs. Colombia Switzerland has consistently been competitive but unspectacular at major tournaments. The Swiss are never an easy team to beat, but they usually come up short against the best teams. Part of that is because of a lack of spark in attack despite resolute defending. If Switzerland breaks through to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1954, it might be because of Manzambi, its new attacking star. The 20-year-old plays his club soccer for SC Freiburg in the German Bundesliga, but he has been linked with a move to the English Premier League. It’s clear why at this tournament. In four games (only two starts), he has three goals and two assists. He is thriving in attack next to veteran striker Breel Embolo and will be a key player for Colombia to stop in the round of 16. Díaz was already known as a quality winger at Liverpool, but he took his game to another level this past season for Bayern Munich. With the German giants, the 29-year-old had 26 goals and 19 assists in 51 games. Díaz hasn’t gotten going at this World Cup yet with just one goal and one assist in four games; both came against Uzbekistan in the group stage. Díaz and captain James Rodriguez will need to be at their best if Colombia is going to make it to the quarterfinals for the second time ever.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

And so it ends. In the most improbable of ways. In the most incredible of situations. Cape Verde’s whirlwind 2026 World Cup run ultimately ended with a loss to Argentina and Lionel Messi, who notched his seventh goal in this World Cup and 20th overall. Multiple equalizers. Extra time. 3-2. It was, to me, the most magnificent match I have witnessed in modern World Cup history. Simply because this was about the underdog, the ultimate dreamer, going toe-to-toe, with the defending world champion and the greatest player the game has ever seen. After the victory, Argentina — learning some lessons along the way — will face Mohamed Salah and Egypt in the round of 16 in Atlanta. Perhaps, this was the game that woke La Albiceleste up and finally gave them the challenge they needed. But Friday night, it was about you, Cape Verde. It’s quite ironic, isn’t it? The diminutive king, the boy who was often overlooked for his size, rivaled by the ultimate underdog, Cape Verde, which has a population only slightly larger than Miami, where this all-timer was played. It is the ultimate poetic inspiration of this World Cup for the archipelagic African nation to do what they did. A young, albeit courageous David defeated Goliath with a slingshot and a rock. Cape Verde almost did the same. Almost. Despite the loss, what coach Bubista did is nothing short of remarkable. What this team did throughout the tournament is nothing short of remarkable. Alongside the likes of the fan-favorite meteoric star of the tournament, Vozinha, Cape Verde nearly delivered the most stunning shock in World Cup history. And so this is why the Blue Sharks’ story is one of beauty from multiple angles. It is ambivalent in nature: we acknowledge what has been lost and the inspiration that has been gained. Vozinha against Messi was cinema of the highest order, and it was the goalkeeper who overcame the battle, making one remarkable save after another. The saying always goes, “Messi’s free-kicks — you somewhat know where they’re going, but you can never stop them.” Well, one man stopped Messi’s shots. Again and again. With eight saves on 10 shots, Vozinha wasn’t perfect, but he was incredible. The way he faced down Messi and a team of superstars surely lifted and inspired his own squad to keep digging. And as a result, we just witnessed the most dramatic, thrilling battle I have ever seen in my history of watching the World Cup. The goals were unbelievable in nature, and the scoring chances kept your heartrate through the roof. It was a display of ultimate brilliance and bravery. Think about this for a second. Sidny Lopes Cabral was playing third division football in Germany not so long ago. And Friday night, he scored the most colossal goal of his life — and decidedly the best of the tournament — against Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez. Cape Verde is a team that doesn’t understand fear. It’s a team of sharks, hunting for success in any water it comes across, and it doesn’t care about the opponent. Whether it’s Cameroon or Argentina, it doesn’t matter. It will face you, challenge you, without an ounce of animosity. This team made its people proud, and the entire globe paid notice. This is what the World Cup is all about. It’s a competition that reveals your character. And Cape Verde? We now know exactly who it is as a team — even after a loss. Argentina, in the end, came through thanks to its steel-minded belief. But make no mistake about this: the night belonged to Cape Verde. Not even Lionel Messi can deny that statement. There is also a reminder that this was played in Miami, which is about as close as you can get to Buenos Aires without being in Argentina. We are talking about more than 50,000 Argentines from the diaspora who call the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area their home. You saw the videos and the packed stadium. This was a home match for the defending champions. And it didn’t matter. Cape Verde stood strong and fought with everything. It didn’t play scared. It wasn’t intimidated by the crowd. We say goodbye, Blue Sharks. You leave as heroes and the biggest, most inspiring story of the tournament. What you gave to this World Cup — including the epic standoff that ultimately ended your magical run — will forever be remembered. In a match that included Lionel Messi, you leave as the eternal stars whose light will never fade in the memories of World Cup history.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

There’s a moment in every Argentina game, usually as things get uncomfortable, when 80,000 heads turn in the same direction. They fixate on a 39-year-old with graying stubble and the nonchalant gaze of a man strolling to the corner store. It happened again on Friday night in Miami, with the reigning World Cup champions two fingertips from one of the most stunning upsets in tournament history. Everyone was looking for Lionel Messi to respond. And Lionel Messi, as he has done for two decades, answered. His numbers at this World Cup read like a typo. Seven goals in four games, leading the Golden Boot race at an age when most of his generation are doing punditry. A hat-trick against Algeria that made him the oldest man to score one at a World Cup. A brace against Austria that carried him past Miroslav Klose and made him the all-time leading scorer in the tournament’s history. A free kick off the bench against Jordan. Then Friday: a first touch of pure silk off a long ball, a dink over Vozinha, and a 20th goal across his six World Cup appearances. Nobody had ever reached 20. He has now scored in eight consecutive World Cup matches. (Nobody had ever done that either.) And when Cape Verde equalized in the 103rd minute and the unthinkable was bewilderingly unfolding, it was Messi’s set-piece delivery in the 111th minute that found Cristian Romero’s head and saved the champions from embarrassment (even if it was officially ruled as an own goal). For most of his career, Messi was measured against Diego Maradona. The comparison was always framed around one thing: Diego dragged Argentina to a World Cup in 1986, and Leo hadn’t. It was reductive and probably unfair, a career of impossible beauty held hostage by a single trophy. Then came Qatar and one of the greatest finals ever played, ending the debate in golden confetti. The asterisk became a crown. That’s what makes this summer so remarkable. Messi has nothing left to prove. The trophy is won. The ghost is at peace. Messi could have retired into legend years ago, and instead he’s here, in his sixth World Cup, playing more matches on this stage than any man in history, breaking records that took a century to build. He isn’t hanging on. He’s growing, again, in real time. And think about how close Friday came to being the ending. Imagine it: Lionel Messi’s final World Cup match, the last dance of the greatest player who ever lived, ending in a round of 32 defeat to Cape Verde, a nation of half a million people playing in its first tournament. The most storied international career in the history of the sport, closing with the most bizarre full stop imaginable. For eight minutes of extra time, that was the live script. Instead, at least one more song at this final dance. Egypt awaits in the round of 16, and beyond that, the potential for something absurd: back-to-back World Cups, a feat no nation has managed since Pelé and Brazil did so in 1962, delivered by a captain a year shy of his 40th birthday. Maybe it ends next week. Maybe it ends with him lifting the trophy on June 19 in New Jersey. With anyone else, you’d roll your eyes at the second option. With Messi, you’ve learned better. He has spent 20 years turning the unthinkable into the inevitable, and he is doing it one more time, in the tournament that once tormented him, at an age that should make it impossible.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports