‘They kick the crap out of me’ - Messi jokes about Cape Verde players' tough treatment

The Argentine captain was in high demand following the hard-fought 3-2 win in Miami, which secured his team's spot in the last 16. 

Despite the game's intense, physical nature, several Cape Verdean players waited patiently after the final whistle for a chance to take a picture or get a jersey from the football icon, who graciously fulfilled their requests.

While Messi celebrated his 20th career World Cup goal, the focus for the defending champions will be on improving their overall performance as they advance deeper into the tournament.

Reflecting on the encounter, Messi laughed about the contrast between his opponents' on-field aggression and their post-match admiration.

"They asked for my jersey, everything... On the field, they kick the crap out of me," Messi quipped, according to TyC Sports.

The Argentine star also acknowledged that his team's performance was not up to their usual high standards and highlighted the crucial role of set-pieces in securing the win.

"This team has been demonstrating this for a long time; it competes and will compete until the end," he stated. 

"Today, we saw the importance of set pieces, which we hadn't been converting well lately. In matches like this, it's important. We have good headers, players who are good in the air."

Messi admitted that Argentina struggled to maintain control of the game, even after scoring the opening goal.

"We knew it was going to be a very hard match," he conceded. "There's a reason this team hadn't lost to Spain and Uruguay. 

“We did the hardest part, which was finding the first goal, and we thought that, because of that, we were going to find our rhythm. 

“And it was the complete opposite. We lost possession, we sat back, we couldn't press effectively."

With qualification secured, Argentina now turn their attention to a last-16 clash against Egypt.