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In the North and Central American World Cup, defending champion Argentina has advanced to the Round of 16 after defeating Cape Verde, the surprise sensation of this tournament. Lionel Messi, the "God of Football," led his team to victory by becoming the first player in World Cup history to reach the 20-goal milestone.

Reporter Pyeon Gwanghyeon has the story.

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The heart of Argentina, which is aiming for a second consecutive tournament title, was once again the "God of Football," Messi.

With the score tied at 0-0 in the 29th minute of the first half, Messi controlled a long pass from defender Martinez with a sublime first touch before firing a left-footed shot into the back of the Cape Verde net.

With this goal, Messi set a historic record as the first player in World Cup history to score 20 goals in the final tournament. He also moved into sole possession of the lead in the Golden Boot race with his 7th goal of the tournament, surpassing France's Kylian Mbappe.

However, the counterattack from Cape Verde, the tournament's surprise package, was formidable.

In the 14th minute of the second half, Duarte scored the equalizer with a composed right-footed shot, forcing the match into extra time.

Argentina took the lead again just two minutes into the first half of extra time with a goal from Martinez, but 11 minutes later, Cape Verde's Cabral leveled the score once more with a wonder goal that found the corner of the net.

In the moment of crisis, Messi's brilliance shone again.

In the 6th minute of the second half of extra time, Messi delivered a left-footed corner kick that found Romero for a header. The ball deflected off a defender and resulted in an own goal.

Having fended off Cape Verde's relentless offensive until the very end, Argentina secured a 3-2 victory and advanced to the Round of 16.

Cape Verde, which had caused a stir by drawing against powerhouses Spain and Uruguay in their first-ever appearance on the main stage, bowed out after failing to overcome the wall of the defending champions.

Argentina, propelled into the Round of 16 by Messi's performance, will face Egypt, led by the "King Pharaoh" Mohamed Salah, on July 8 for a spot in the quarterfinals.

(Video Editing: Ha Seong-won)