Lionel Messi laughed off the physical treatment he received from Cape Verde during Argentina's dramatic World Cup last-16 qualifier in Miami on Friday, joking about the contrast between the on-field roughness and the warmth shown to him afterward. Several Cape Verde players lingered after the final whistle to request his shirt and photographs, which Messi happily obliged before poking fun at the tackling he had endured throughout the match. "They asked for my jersey, everything… On the field, they kick the crap out of me," he said, as quoted by TyC Sports. Argentina edged past their determined opponents 3-2 after extra time, with the reigning champions twice forced to come from behind before Cristian Romero's deflected header proved decisive. The result booked Argentina's place in the round of 16, where they will face Egypt, who advanced past Australia on penalties. Messi also reached the milestone of 20 career World Cup goals in the match. He credited improved set-piece execution for the win, noting the team had struggled to convert from dead-ball situations in recent games, and praised Cape Verde's resilience, acknowledging that the underdogs had made scoring the opening goal unusually difficult and that Argentina lost control of the match after twice taking the lead. Cape Verde exit the tournament unbeaten in regulation time across the group stage, having held Spain and Saudi Arabia to scoreless draws and pushed two-time champions Uruguay to a 2-2 tie before their run ended against Argentina.