Murals, flags and beef dishes – Messi mania takes hold in Miami

Murals, flags and beef dishes – Messi mania takes hold in MiamiFigure caption, Messi opens the scoring against Cape Verde with ‘sensational’ finishByElizabeth ConwaySpanish football reporter, AtMiami StadiumPublished22 minutes agoHe scored again. After getting three against Algeria, two against Austria and one against Jordan, Lionel Messi added another as Argentina defeated Cape Verde in the World Cup last 32.His opener in the dramatic, extraordinary 3-2 victory in Miami was his 20th World Cup finals goal – extending the record he broke during his country’s progression through the group phase in the United States. It was his seventh of this tournament.The atmosphere around the stadium had been building long before kick-off, with supporters lining the streets draped in sky blue and white, beating drums, singing songs and posing beneath giant Argentina flags.Inside, blue and white shirts dominated the stands, with his number 10 visible almost everywhere. Flags draped over the railings, while one striking banner portrayed Messi alongside Diego Maradona as saint-like figures, reflecting the status which so many supporters regard their greatest footballing icons.”He’s our hero,” one Argentina fan stated before kick-off. “He’s like our God.””He has aged like fine wine,” another stated. “The older he gets, the better he gets.”When asked whether Messi could win the Golden Boot at this World Cup, supporters were confident that he would if Argentina made the final.”We’ve already had so much from him,” one fan stated. “If he wins it, fantastic, but everything he’s already done for Argentina is enough. He is incredible.”By Messi’s extraordinary standards, this was not his most influential performance. Cape Verde frustrated Argentina for long periods and played with a confidence that suggested little sign of the gap in the world rankings, with Argentina ranked second in the world and Cape Verde sitting outside the top 60.Yet, as he has done so many times before, Messi still made his mark.Farewell Cape Verde – the underdogs the World Cup will never forget