On July 3, 2026, at the stadium in Miami, a Round of 32 World Cup match between Argentina and Cape Verde produced one of the tournament's most unforgettable moments when Sidny Lopes Cabral scored a stunning goal. In the 103rd minute of extra time, with Cape Verde trailing 2-1 after Lisandro Martinez's goal, Cabral received the ball on the left flank, dribbled past Alexis Mac Allister, then Nahuel Molina, and from the edge of the box fired a powerful right-footed strike into the far top corner past Emiliano Martinez. The goal, which came at the 103rd minute, leveled the score at 2-2 and kept Cape Verde's World Cup dream alive. The strike was the culmination of a brilliant team move involving more than 11 consecutive passes that started from goalkeeper Vozinha. After scoring, Cabral ran straight to the stands instead of celebrating with his teammates, embracing his girlfriend Jayley da Cruz and refusing to return to the pitch until she came down to him. The goal was later voted the best goal of the Round of 32 by FIFA, winning an overwhelming 88.7 percent of the public vote. Cabral himself admitted he couldn't believe what he had done, thinking to himself: what the hell did I just do when he saw the ball hit the top corner. Despite Cabral's heroics, Argentina ultimately prevailed when Christian Romero headed home from a Messi delivery in the 111th minute, with the ball deflecting off Diney Borges into the net for a 3-2 victory. The match will be remembered not only for Cabral's wonder strike but also for the incredible fighting spirit of the tournament debutants from Cape Verde, who had previously drawn with Spain and Uruguay.
