Messi's Argentina survive a Cabo Verde scare as the last-16 field is completed

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Argentina were pushed to the brink before beating Cabo Verde 3-2 after extra time, surviving what nearly became one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history. Lionel Messi opened the scoring for his 20th career World Cup goal, but the debutants twice hit back to force and then trouble Argentina in extra time, according to NBC Sports, before an own goal settled a chaotic tie in the world champions' favour.

Colombia completed the round-of-16 field with a 1-0 win over Ghana, Jhon Arias scoring inside 15 minutes in Kansas City. Per ESPN, the result sends Colombia into a last-16 meeting with Switzerland and ends Ghana's tournament.

Egypt also advanced, beating Australia on penalties after a 1-1 draw, per Yahoo Sports, to book their place in the knockout bracket as the round of 32 concluded.

Transfer and squad notes

Messi's goal extended his own all-time World Cup scoring record to 20 and took his tally for this tournament to seven, according to Olympics.com, though Argentina's defensive vulnerability against Cabo Verde raised questions about their solidity heading deeper into the knockouts.

With the round of 32 complete, the last-16 field is set and the round of 16 begins on July 4, Yahoo Sports reported, with Canada facing Morocco and Paraguay meeting France among the ties to come.

What it means for the league

The round of 32 ended with Argentina's near-disaster and Cabo Verde's fairytale falling agonisingly short, a fitting close to a knockout phase that has repeatedly favoured the bold. Messi continues to rewrite the records, but the champions look more fragile than their group form suggested. The last 16 now sharpens around marquee ties — Spain against Portugal and Brazil against Norway among them — as the field narrows toward the quarter-finals.