'Just magical!' - Cape Verde leave Thierry Henry in awe and Zlatan Ibrahimovic 'almost in tears' after glorious defeat against Argentina

Cape Verde, making their debut on the world stage, entered the round of 32 clash as massive underdogs, ranked 66 places below the world number one side. However, their fearless approach forced a nervy extra-time ending for Argentina and captured the imagination of the global audience, including legendary striker Ibrahimovic, who was working as an analyst for FOX Sports.

The former Sweden international was visibly emotional following the final whistle, stating: "I can stand there and give applause to Cape Verde because it was all about Cape Verde. Small island with big dreams, and they almost threw out the big giant. These guys, they’re heroes. This is heroes. They became idols of their small island, and they are stars. They didn’t lose any game during 90 minutes, important to say. They almost made it in this game."

Ibrahimovic added: "I almost have tears because of this moment, seeing these images. Argentina’s not even celebrating because this is not about Argentina or Leo Messi. This is about Cape Verde, and they almost did it."

Henry was equally effusive in his praise, focusing on the sheer belief shown by the African nation throughout the match, which ended in Argentina's favour when a header diverted off of Diney Borges' arm and into the net in the second half of extra-time. "I don’t care what happened in the result right now, and I’m sure the Argentinians feel the same way because they didn’t even celebrate. They’re just happy to go through," the Arsenal legend remarked.

"The story is, was and always will be Cabo Verde. What I witnessed today is just like - when you believe that you can, that’s what can happen. Yes, I know they ended up losing the game. But they won our heart. I have to say that it’s just magical. Wow."

While the pundits were in awe, Messi was feeling the physical effects of facing such a determined side. The Argentina captain, who scored his 20th career World Cup goal during the match, was seen sharing jokes and taking selfies with his opponents despite the high stakes of the knockout fixture.

Reflecting on the encounter, Messi joked that his opponents "kick the crap" out of him before they eventually asked for his shirt. The Inter Miami star admitted that Argentina struggled to maintain control, noting: "We knew it was going to be a very hard match. There's a reason this team hadn't lost to Spain and Uruguay."

Mikel John Obi joined the chorus of praise, highlighting the impact Cape Verde has made on global football. "What we have witnessed today is absolutely incredible," the former Chelsea midfielder said.

Mikel concluded: "They are the winners today. Doesn’t matter what happened, these guys are the absolute winners today. Argentina dodged a massive bullet and live to fight another day." Argentina will now turn their attention to a last-16 meeting with Egypt, while the 'Blue Sharks' return home as national icons.