Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell before a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.
A few weeks ago, Kevin O’Connell made some comical quips about being hurt by not getting to play golf alongside Harrison Smith when the safety was in the town. Maybe putting in a round alongside Scottie Scheffler helps make up for any hurt feelings.
Charley Walters is a veteran sports writer who works for The Pioneer Press. He took to social media to make the simple point: “Kevin O’Connell playing with Scottie Scheffler in 3M pro-am this morning at TPC.” In just a few days, Coach O’Connell will need to put away his golf bag in favor of picking up the coach’s whistle in preparation for a pressure-packed season.
Kevin O’Connell Plays Golf with Scottie Scheffler
Mr. Scheffler knows a thing or two about playing golf.
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Nobody on the planet is truly within his stratosphere. Not right now, at least. Rory McIlroy will be remembered as one of the best ever. Likewise, the era will bring up memories of some of the special things that Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, and various others have done. Scheffler is better than them all and it’s not particularly close.
Jul 19, 2026; Southport, ENG; Scottie Scheffler lines up a putt on the 18th green during the final round of The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Birkdale. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Presumably, Kevin O’Connell feels privileged to share a round of golf with such a dominant force. Is that a two-way street?
Coach O’Connell is widely regarded as being among the game’s great coaches. To my eye, he’s above average but far from dominant, largely due to his inability to construct a formidable ground attack. Introducing true balance to his play calling and the manner in which he can attack the opponent would do wonders for the Minnesota Vikings.
But then there’s the reality of what’s coming up: Kevin O’Connell is desperate for a playoff run.
Prior to coming to Minnesota, O’Connell was the OC for Sean McVay’s Rams. The skipper therefore came to the Twin Cities with a ring on his finger and the upside of ensuring that those in Minnesota could snag some rings, too. He has since gone 0-2 in the playoffs.
Not too many coaches are capable of having a Marvin Lewis career. The former Bengals coach was in Cincinnati for a long time, putting in work from 2003 to 2018. He went 0-7 in the playoffs during that time. Expect O’Connell to get canned well ahead of being allowed to lose 7 playoff games if there are zero counterbalancing wins.
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) slaps hands with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell after a made field goal against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Kevin O’Connell, in other words, needs to put things together before too long. His roster boasts a pile of talent but everybody is focusing on the high-profile quarterback battle. Safe to say, folks, that O’Connell has never made a more important decision than the one he’s about to make for who starts at quarterback.
The coach then needs his o-line to improve, a run game that’s more than just a casual part of the mix, ongoing excellence from the Brian Flores defense, and the specials to continue being very good (Will Reichard = an assassin who kills the opponent 3 points at a time).
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The Vikings welcome rookies to training camp on Sunday, July 26th. A couple of days later, the veterans get to Eagan. O’Connell has plenty of work ahead of him. Maybe Scottie Scheffler will be able to pass along some tips about a well-rounded attack that can elevate on the largest stage.
The WNBA is going with a shooting stars competition instead of its skills challenge, pairing one former great with a current player in the league on Friday night as part of all-star weekend.
Seattle will be represented by Lauren Jackson and Flau’jae Johnson. Washington will have Elena Delle Donne partnered with Shakira Austin. Dallas, which started out as a franchise in Detroit, will pair Jessica Shepard with Deanna Nolan. Minnesota will have Rebekkah Brunson playing with Courtney Williams.
Each team will also include a standout high school player from Nike EYBL, bringing together three generations of women’s basketball in one competition.
The Nike EYBL participants are Jezelle “GG” Banks, Ryan Carter, Tatianna Griffin and Morghan Reckley. Honorary general managers for the WNBA All-Star Game, Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon, will serve as designated passers, with Cooper distributing the ball to two teams and Weatherspoon passing it to the other two teams.
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The format is a two-round, timed shooting competition in which teams have 70 seconds to score as many points as possible from seven shooting locations around the court. The competition features shots ranging from a layup to a 3-pointer, with the two teams posting the highest scores in the opening round advancing to the championship round.
The shooting stars winners will get $15,000. Each competitor will receive $7,500.
Last year the winners of the skills contest each received $2,575 from the WNBA.
The league announced the participants of the three-point contest on Tuesday.
A day after the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, which Argentina lost to Spain, a video went viral showing Lionel Messi saying something to his teammates. “Come on, guys. Calm down, calm down is the most important thing. Let’s stay calm. Let’s just think about playing, nothing else. Calm down, let’s forget about everything. Let’s just play, let’s think about playing. That’s all, guys, let’s go,” the captain of the Albiceleste was heard saying.
With Messi being heard trying to ‘calm down’ his teammates, asking them to forget everything and move on just minutes before the start of the title showdown, the internet was intrigued.
Carlos Mac Allister, father of Alexis Mac Allister – Messi’s teammate – sent his son a message to find out what was behind it.
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“I texted Alexis: ‘Hey, what happened in the locker room? Did something happen?’ I was just as worried. If I was worried, thinking that if something had happened my son would have told me right away, imagine how everyone else felt!” said “Colo” in an interview with Radio La Red.
La charla completa de los jugadores de la Selección Argentina antes de entrar a la cancha.
“He told me no, that they were talking about going out to play, in the football sense, about playing, passing, rotating, creating triangles, not kicking the ball high, not giving away possession. That’s what they were referring to. Then a lot of doubts started to arise. These days, also because of that post that was made, many people write to me and some people have said this to me,” the former footballer, who played for Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors, added.
Now, an extended video has been released on social media, highlighting what happened right before kick-off. In the video, Messi can be seen leading his troops from the dressing room to the waiting area.
Messi walks out of the dressing room wearing a white Argentina jacket over his kit. Chants of “Vamos muchachos” (“Let’s go, guys!”) can be heard, while the support staff also seem to be cheering the team.
The video later shows Messi with teammates behind him. The camera follows him as he moves forward. As Messi reaches the waiting area where both teams line up before walking onto the pitch, he deliberately goes around greeting players from Spain.
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He makes a point of shaking hands, patting shoulders, or briefly hugging several of them, particularly those associated with Barcelona, the club where Messi spent most of his career.
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AFA warns of Legal Action over False Media Reports
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) says it is considering legal action against media outlets after denying reports that president Claudio Tapia and treasurer Pablo Toviggino were summoned by U.S. authorities.
In a statement published on its official website, the AFA rejected claims that either official had been ordered to appear before a U.S. court or had electronic devices confiscated, describing those reports as false.
According to the federation, the court document cited in several reports was addressed to a third party, who was instructed to appear before a federal grand jury and could be asked to provide documents or communications involving several individuals, including AFA officials.
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The federation also accused some media outlets of spreading misleading information and warned that it could pursue legal action.
“The AFA reserves the exercise of all legal actions that may be appropriate against the dissemination of false or manifestly misleading information that harms the rights of the institution or its authorities,” the federation said in the statement published on its official website.
The AFA added that inaccurate or deliberately distorted reporting had created serious misinformation and unfairly damaged the reputation of both the organization and its officials. It also urged journalists and media organisations to verify official documents before publishing reports.
ONE featherweight Muay Thai contender Luke Lessei of the United States walked away from ONE Fight Night 45 with his hand raised, but the perfectionist inside him is still chasing something sharper.
“The Chef” outpointed “The Eagle” Mohamed Younes Rabah of Algeria via unanimous decision in the featherweight Muay Thai main event on Friday at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
Rabah survived, and all three judges ultimately sided with Lessei. Still, the 30-year-old cannot shake the feeling that a golden opportunity slipped through his fingers in that very moment.
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“There was one shot in the third round, a big hook, and my coach tells me, like, it should have been an eight-count,” he told the promotion after the fight.
“I wish I had gotten that eight-count. I could have smelled blood and went for the kill, chasing the 50K bonus.”
“But it is what it is. I’m happy with the shots that I landed. I can always improve. I can always do better, and I think I could push the pace even more.”
Luke Lessei reveals his shortlist of next opponents
With the win pushing him back into featherweight Muay Thai world title contention, Luke Lessei already has a shortlist of names he wants next.
“I just heard [Shadow] has a broken jaw right now, so I’m not sure how soon he’ll be back, but all three of the names, Bambi, Nico, Shadow, whoever,” he told ONE Championship.
“The Chef” continued:
“I’ve always been interested in putting the big gloves back on, doing kickboxing, since there’s no big-glove Muay Thai. But, yeah, I love banging in whatever style it is for striking.”
ONE Fight Night 45 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Manchester United have signed midfielders Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos this summer, but could they add another?
According to Fabrizio Romano, United are in contact with Roma over the signing of France international Manu Kone.
They are yet to make a bid, but Romano reports that United will consider another move for a defensive midfielder this summer.
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Michael Carrick’s side need reinforcements following the departure of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte suffering a long-term injury at the World Cup.
They also missed out on the signing of Elliot Anderson, who joined rivals Manchester City on a £116m deal.
Jamie Braidwood22 July 2026 22:01
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ICYMI: Arsenal step up Bruno Guimaraes pursuit
Arsenal are prepared to step up their pursuit of Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes but have been told that a fee of £100m will be needed to sign the Brazil international midfielder.
Newcastle believe the fee Tottenham paid for Sandro Tonali should set the benchmark for any interest in their captain, yet the Gunners are still said to poised to “accelerate” their interest, according to the Telegraph.
Guimaraes, 28, has emerged as a key leader for Newcastle since his arrival on Tyneside in January 2022, and became their first captain to lift domestic silverware in 70 years when they won the Carabao Cup.
He signed a new five-year deal at St James’ Park in October 2023, but Newcastle failed to qualify for the Champions League last season and finished 12th in a disappointing campaign for Eddie Howe’s side.
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Jamie Braidwood22 July 2026 21:01
Aston Villa agree loan deal for Alejandro Garnacho
Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sign Alejandro Garnacho on loan from Chelsea with an obligation to by, according to BBC Sport.
The 22-year-old has already completed a medical in Birmingham and has pre-agreed a four-year contract at Villa Park if the loan deal becomes permanent.
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The terms of the obligation have not been disclosed but it is expected to be triggered if certain realistic conditions are met, with Chelsea confident they will receive their £43m valuation.
(Getty)
Will Castle22 July 2026 20:30
Premier League transfers: Top outgoings so far
1. Anthony Gordon (Newcastle to Barcelona) – £68m
2. Marc Cucurella (Chelsea to Real Madrid) – £50m
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3. Rasmus Hoijlund (Man Utd to Napoli) – £37.5m
4. Donyell Malen (Aston Villa to Roma) – £21m
5. Eliezer Mayenda (Sunderland to Stade Rennais) – £18.8m
6. Leandro Trossard (Arsenal to Besiktas) – £15.3m
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7. Jakub Kiwior (Arsenal to Porto) – £14.5m
8. Manuel Akanji (Man City to Inter) – £12.8m
9. Enzo Barrenechea (Aston Villa to Benfica) – £10.2m
10. Will Lankshear (Tottenham to Middlesbrough) – £9m
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(PA Wire)
Jamie Braidwood22 July 2026 20:01
Liverpool make Adam Wharton decision?
Liverpool have made Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton their top midfield target this summer, according to Spanish outlet AS.
The 22-year-old Wharton is under contract at Crystal Palace until 2029 and the Eagles will reportedly not consider any offer that does reach the new benchmark for Premier League-proven midfielders, around £100m.
Liverpool have signed Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai to long-term deals this summer while Curtis Jones is now set to stay.
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Alexis Mac Allister, who has two years remaining on his deal, has been linked with a move to Spain, but boss Andoni Iraola also wants the Argentina international to stay.
(Getty)
Jamie Braidwood22 July 2026 19:40
Man City agree deal for former Arsenal wonderkid
Arsenal were keen to extend terms with the 16-year-old midfielder, but Nduka is now poised to undergo a medical.
His deal at the Etihad Stadium will initially be on scholarship terms before eventually graduating to a pro contract.
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Mishel Nduka could join Man City’s Academy
Jack Rathborn22 July 2026 19:20
Former Manchester United midfielder Casemiro completes Inter Miami move
The 34-year-old Brazil international, who was a free agent following the conclusion of his contract at Old Trafford last season, joins the Major League Soccer club on a deal that runs until the end of the 2027 MLS Sprint Season.
The agreement includes an option to extend his stay until June 2029, pending visa approval.
Will Castle22 July 2026 19:00
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Belgium World Cup star attracting Premier League interest?
Charles De Ketelaere, the answer to a pub quiz question in a few years time as the only goalscorer against World Cup 2026 winners Spain, is attracting interest from across Europe.
And Corriere della Sera reports that Premier League clubs are pushing for the Atalanta forward’s signature.
Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are also keen, with the Bergamo club quoting €50m (£42.7m) for the 25-year-old, who scored three and assisted one across five games at this summer’s World Cup.
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(Reuters)
Jack Rathborn22 July 2026 18:41
Aston Villa and Tottenham tracking Rafael Leao?
Rafael Leao seems to have been linked with a move to Arsenal for a long time but Aston Villa now have interest in the Portuguese attacker and will have money to spend once the Rogers deal goes through.
Villa appear likely to sign ex-Brighton left-back Pervis Estupinan from AC Milan, with Lucas Digne set to move to PSG, and Unai Emery’s side have also discussed Leao with Milan.
Talks are not yet very advanced but the 27-year-old is looking to move on from the San Siro this summer and could be available for around £50m, with Spurs also keeping tabs.
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(Getty)
Jamie Braidwood22 July 2026 18:21
Manchester United ‘preparing’ offer for PSG’s Warren Ziare-Emery?
Manchester United have been linked with a £51m move for Paris Saint-Germain’s France international midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery, and are reportedly considering tabling a bid, according to Top Mercato in France.
Having signed Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos but missing out on Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali, United are keen to sign another midfielder – with Manu Konu, Aurelien and Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga also linked.
Zaire-Emery is a two-time Champions League winner with PSG but the 20-year-old is not first choice, but the options at the European Champions.
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However, the journalist Graeme Bailey reports that Zaire-Emery is not for sale this summer, and that the midfielder has no desire to leave his hometown club.
Lalit Modi is accused of bid-rigging, money laundering, and violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act of 1999. (Photo: Instagram/lalitkmodi)
1 min read Last Updated : Jul 22 2026 | 10:59 PM IST
Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi on Wednesday said he plans to visit India later this year or early next year after receiving major legal relief from the Appellate Tribunal in the long-running 2009 IPL South Africa foreign exchange case, describing the ruling as the vindication of a 16-year battle.
In a video message posted on social media, Modi said the tribunal’s verdict had finally established the truth behind his stand on the case.
“I’m really happy with the verdict. It’s really been a great day. Sixteen years I have fought and whatever I have been saying to the media and to everybody has finally emerged as the truth,” Modi said.
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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It was announced last month that Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s comeback fight against Christian Mbilli, originally scheduled for September 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, had been pushed back to October. The former undisputed super-middleweight world champion has now revealed why.
Canelo lost all four of his world titles last year to Terence Crawford, but the American’s subsequent retirement saw the belts scattered, allowing the Mexican to immediately book a world title shot on return against new WBC champion Christian Mbilli.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Canelo has now revealed that there was no injury or issues with the promotion, rather family matters that saw him push it back. He also confirmed that the fight will now take place on October 31.
“Some problems in my family, so I needed to fix … I’m always very disciplined, organised with my training camps, and I wasn’t ready to be training, so that’s why I postponed the fight – because I needed to attend family [matters]. But, all good now, ready to train, and [it’s] gonna be October 31. Yeah, Halloween, that’s the new date.”
Mbilli – undefeated in 30 bouts with 24 knockouts on his ledger – held the WBC interim belt before being elevated to full champion upon Crawford’s retirement. He applies extreme pressure in the ring, making it a good match-up for fans and a style that may play into Alvarez’s counterpunching.
The card remains billed as Mexico against the World, with undercard bouts featuring some of the fighting nation’s biggest names expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
NEW YORK — Jared Triolo and Jake Mangum hit run-scoring singles against Fernando Cruz in the 10th inning, Jacob Gonzalez and Nick Gonzales homered off Gerrit Cole and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the New York Yankees 5-3 Wednesday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Ben Rice tied the score with his 30th home run, a three-run drive in the seventh inning off Carmen Mlodzinski.
Triolo and Mangum drove in runs off Cruz (4-4), who allowed two hits and two walks while getting just one out.
Mason Montgomery (3-3) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings and Gregory Soto got three straight outs for his 13th save in 18 chances.
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Cole retired his first 14 batters before allowing Nick Gonzales’ single and Jacob Gonzalez’s two-run homer. Nick Gonzales added a solo homer in the seventh off Cole, who, in his previous start, gave up Max Muncy’s two-run, eighth-inning homer that lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-1 win.
Cole struck out 11, his most since Aug. 25, 2023, and extended his Yankees record for double-digit strikeout games with 29. He allowed three runs and four hits with no walks.
Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller gave up three hits in five scoreless innings.
New York went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
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Yankees hitting coach James Rowson was ejected in the sixth inning for arguing after José Caballero was called for a pitch clock violation for not engaging Mlodzinski with more than eight seconds remaining. Caballero took an inning-ending called strike and Yankees manager Aaron Boone continued arguing with plate umpire Quinn Wolcott during the break.
Brent Headrick struck out the side in the eighth and extended his home scoreless streak to 35 innings, the longest for the Yankees since Allie Reynolds’ 36 innings from Sept. 16, 1953, to June 2, 1954, according to STATS.
New York LHP Max Fried (4-3) and Pittsburgh RHP Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.77) were to start the night game.
Cameron Menzies needed medical attention after being taken ill during his World Matchplay second-round match against Ross Smith in Blackpool on Wednesday.
While leading the game 2-1, Scotland’s Menzies stepped away from the oche and appeared unsteady on his feet as England’s Smith and the referee guided him safely off stage.
It was later confirmed that Menzies was cleared by medics backstage but was unable to return to the stage to continue, and so forfeited the match.
The PDC said: “Cameron experienced high blood pressure, which caused him to feel dizzy and subsequently faint.
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“Following an assessment by the on-site medical team, Cameron was deemed well enough to return to his accommodation.
“We wish Cameron all the best and look forward to seeing him back in action soon.”
Elsewhere, world number three Gian van Veen booked his quarter-final spot by overcoming fellow Dutchman Wessel Nijman in a tie-break.
In a back-and-forth encounter, both players landed 100-plus checkouts to prolong the match but it was Van Veen who came out on top 14-12 in a thriller.
Cape Verde and their goalkeeper Vozinha had a memorable FIFA World Cup 2026 debut, despite going down 3-2 to Argentina in a valiantly contested match in Miami. Cape Verde remained unbeaten against 2010 champions and eventual winners Spain, as well as two-time former champions Uruguay in the group stage. Then, in the Round of 32, Cape Verde were level at 2-2 until the 111th minute before an own goal saw Argentina take a 3-2 lead. Vozinha made a total of 18 saves in the tournament; the only goalkeepers aged 40 or older to register more saves at a single World Cup are Peter Shilton (28 in 1990 for England) and Dino Zoff (27 in 1982 for Italy), according to OptaJoe.
Now, a report in Goal.com has claimed that Messi apparently instructed his representatives to secure free tickets for four of Vozinha’s family members so that they could attend the final from the stands. Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the final.
Speaking after the match, Vozinha said Messi hugged him and offered words of encouragement that deeply moved the goalkeeper, according to La Tercera, as quoted by Goal.com.
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Speaking after the match, Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha revealed a touching post-match moment with Messi that he says will stay with him forever. The goalkeeper recounted the exchange, saying, as quoted by La Tercera: “I went up to Messi after the game. He hugged me and said, ‘You are great. Your people should be proud of you.’ That was incredible for me. Hearing words like that from someone like Leo Messi means a lot to me.”
The Cape Verde goalkeeper further revealed that he requested Messi’s shirt as a keepsake from the meeting, adding that the Argentina captain agreed to the exchange after completing his post-match media duties.
He added that the moment did not end there, revealing that he had asked the Argentine captain for a keepsake from the encounter: “I thanked him and said, ‘Thank you, Leo. You are the best.’ Then I asked if we could swap shirts. Leo said he would give it to me in the tunnel after the interview.”
Coming to the match, Cape Verde, making their first appearance in the World Cup knockout stages, started brightly and tested Argentina early through Ryan Mendes before the South American giants gradually asserted control.
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The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Lionel Messi produced a moment of brilliance, controlling Lisandro Martinez’s diagonal pass before firing into the roof of the net. The strike marked his seventh goal of the tournament, taking him to the top of the Golden Boot standings.
Argentina looked comfortable before halftime, but Cape Verde returned with renewed intensity after the break. Their persistence paid off just before the hour mark when Mendes released Deroy Duarte, who finished confidently from a tight angle to score his country’s first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout-stage goal and level the contest.
Despite creating several chances, Argentina were repeatedly denied by veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, whose outstanding saves from Messi kept the scores level and forced the match into extra time.
Argentina restored their advantage almost immediately after extra time began as Lisandro Martinez converted from close range following a corner in the 92nd minute. Yet Cape Verde refused to back down, with Sidny Lopes Cabral producing a stunning curling effort in the 103rd minute from a tight angle to make it 2-2 once again.
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The decisive moment came in the second half of extra time when Messi’s corner was met by Romero, whose powerful header took a slight deflection off Diney Borges before finding the back of the net in the 111th minute.
Cape Verde nearly forced penalties late on, but Emiliano Martinez produced a vital save to deny Lopes Cabral’s powerful free-kick and secure Argentina’s progress.
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“Winning World Cup Most Beautiful thing”: Golden Ball Winner Rodri
 "Lalit Modi")
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