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Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has revealed the heartfelt message he received from Lionel Messi after his side’s courageous performance against Argentina at the FIFA World Cup.Despite losing 3-2 after extra time, World Cup debutants Cape Verde earned widespread praise for pushing defending champions Argentina to the limit. Goalkeeper Vozinha played a crucial role in keeping his team in the contest, making eight saves against an Argentine attack led by Messi.After the final whistle, Messi and Vozinha shared an emotional moment, with the Argentina captain acknowledging the remarkable effort of the Cape Verde side.“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,” said Vozinha.The veteran goalkeeper described Messi’s gesture as one of the most special moments of his career. After thanking the Argentine star, Vozinha also asked if they could exchange jerseys.“Hearing words like that from someone like Leo Messi means a lot to me. 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 interviews,” he added.“Moments like these remain engraved in your heart forever,” he said.While Cape Verde’s historic World Cup run came to an end, the team’s fearless display won admiration around the football world. Messi once again led Argentina from the front, scoring his 20th World Cup goal — extending his own record and moving two goals clear of Kylian Mbappé on the tournament’s all-time scoring list.Argentina eventually advanced to the Round of 16, but only after surviving one of the toughest tests of their title defence against an inspired Cape Verde.
