Argentina survived the most remarkable challenge of their reign as world champions, escaping with a 3-2 victory over tiny Cape Verde after extra time in one of the greatest matches in World Cup history.

The gap between the two nations could not have been more stark. Argentina are the world’s top-ranked side. Cape Verde, ranked 67th, have fewer people than the city of Milwaukee. Yet the Blue Sharks twice drew level — in regulation time and again in extra time — and came within inches of forcing Lionel Messi and his compatriots into a penalty shootout.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring with his record-extending 20th World Cup goal. Deroy Duarte stunned the pro-Argentina crowd with a 59th-minute equaliser. Lisandro Martínez restored Argentina’s lead in the 92nd minute, only for Sidny Lopes Cabral to produce a goal-of-the-tournament contender to level again in the 103rd minute. Cristian Romero’s deflected header from a Messi corner finally broke Cape Verde hearts in the 111th minute.

The victory sends Argentina through to face Egypt in the Round of 16 on Tuesday in Atlanta. For Cape Verde, their remarkable World Cup debut ends with immense pride and the admiration of the football world .

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Cape Verde were under siege almost immediately as Argentina held nearly all the possession through the first 15 minutes. The Blue Sharks might have dared to dream of holding another top team to a clean sheet — until Messi intervened.

In the 29th minute, Lisandro Martínez played a delicate pass through the Cape Verde defence. Messi broke free, controlled the ball with one touch in the box, and promptly flicked it over the head of the onrushing 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha. The ball hit the roof of the net — 1-0 Argentina.

The goal extended Messi’s record to 20 career World Cup goals, his seventh of the tournament, and continued his record streak of consecutive World Cup games with a goal, now at eight.

While the goal burst Cape Verde’s bubble of optimism, it did not lead to an onslaught. Vozinha denied Messi again, and Enzo Fernández had two dangerous shots saved as the Blue Sharks’ defence held firm before halftime .

Cape Verde continued to hold off the Argentinians and created a couple of opportunities of their own. Then, in the 59th minute, a thunderclap struck.

Ryan Mendes passed a ball through an Argentine defender’s legs on the right side of the box to Deroy Duarte. The midfielder calmly took a touch, slammed a shot through another defender’s legs, and slid it past Emiliano Martínez into the net. It was Duarte’s first international goal.

The stadium fell silent. A nation of 525,000 people had drawn level with the reigning world champions.

Argentina pushed forward in search of a winner. Vozinha denied Messi again in the 73rd minute after a quick free kick that seemed destined for the upper corner. In the final minute of regular time, a Messi ball into the box struck the arm of Pico Lopes, but the referee ruled no penalty because the ball had struck his head first. Vozinha made one more critical save on a Messi free kick, and Cape Verde forced extra time .

Argentina broke the deadlock in the 92nd minute. A corner kick was flicked on, and Lisandro Martínez — who had assisted Messi’s opener — controlled the ball at the far post and fired into the top shelf over Vozinha’s outstretched hands. It was 2-1.

It looked to be the dying of a dream for Cape Verde until the most remarkable moment of the tournament.

In the 103rd minute, Sidny Lopes Cabral received the ball on the left edge of the Argentine box. With a few feet of space, he took an audacious shot. It curled. It curled. It kept curling and settled neatly into the side-netting beyond Martínez. Extraordinary. 2-2 .

With a penalty shootout looming, Argentina found a third goal. Messi swung in a corner from the left. Cristian Romero rose above the pack, and his header took a deflection off Diney Borges before floating over a diving Vozinha. It was ruled an own goal.

Cape Verde did not go quietly. Cabral whipped another curling effort from a free kick, forcing a remarkable save from Martínez. The Blue Sharks kept pushing and came within inches on multiple occasions.

But ultimately, it was not meant to be.