Crazy moments in Miami on Saturday morning, after the Argentine national team nearly suffered a stunning defeat to Cape Verde (3-2 after extra time) in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, once again showed the extent to which the world champions rely on the genius of captain Lionel Messi, sparking concern in Argentina. With a tired face and clear signs of exhaustion after 120 minutes on the pitch, the 39-year-old legend admitted he had expected a tough match. Without commenting on his personal performance, the numbers spoke for Messi, who opened the scoring with a delicate touch followed by a powerful left-footed shot, and then was behind the next two goals from corner kicks. After four matches, the Argentine star tops the scoring chart with 7 goals, representing 63 percent of Argentina's goals since the start of the tournament. Beyond the numbers, the Argentine captain is the source of most of his team's dangerous chances, after Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha denied him a second goal from a free kick heading for the top corner in the 73rd minute. Messi's dominance, as he approaches 40 years old, over Argentina's performance highlights the limits of the three-time world champions. Defender Lisandro Martinez, who provided a long pass to Messi for the first goal and a powerful shot for the third, was the most notable alternative attacking option. In contrast, Lautaro Martinez, Thiago Almada, and Julian Alvarez after coming on looked largely ineffective, while Argentina lacked attacking depth to unsettle Cape Verde's defense in the absence of an effective winger. Before the match, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni did not avoid the issue of relying on Messi, saying: 'Leo scored goals, but we also created chances for other players. I'm not worried about this; we would like goals to be distributed among all players, but as long as we win, there is no problem.' The Argentine coach built his team around Messi, the standout star, and the group stage results proved that this option remains the best for trying to achieve a historic double. The Argentine team has played this way for years, and it already paid off at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as well as in consecutive Copa America titles (2021 and 2024). Argentine newspapers acknowledged that such an approach carries risks, wondering what would happen if 'The Flea' suffered an injury or physical decline, given he is approaching 40 and suffered from hamstring problems at the end of the season. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said during the tournament: 'If some people think this team would be better without Leo, it has become clear that Leo is the most important.' The Argentine team plays for Messi, their foremost star, as Julian Alvarez told DAZN: 'He has been my idol since I was a child. Of course, you want to repay him and try to coordinate movements and create that chemistry.' Rodrigo De Paul, his teammate on the national team and at Inter Miami, summed it up: 'Messi makes you want to go to war if he asks you to.' Messi and his teammates await a new World Cup battle in the Round of 16 against Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, next Tuesday evening.