Jalen Brunson, like several soccer fans around the country right now, had his eyes glued to the Argentina vs. Cape Verde match in the round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Argentina, the defending champions of the World Cup, escaped a potential upset due to an 111th-minute own goal from Diney Borges that helped avoid a penalty shootout.
Following the end of the match, the NBA Finals MVP took to social media and reacted to Lionel Messi’s Argentina avoiding a potential upset in a match that went down to the wire.
“That match was unbelievable,” wrote Brunson on X.
Argentina took the lead initially after Lionel Messi scored in the 29th minute. But just 30 minutes later, Cape Verde equalized and forced extra time. The defending champions took the lead once again in the 92nd minute before Cape Verde equalized 11 minutes later. In the end, it was Lionel Messi’s corner that resulted in an own-goal from Cape Verde.
NBA fans also saw Jalen Brunson’s reaction and expressed their opinions about the thrilling elimination game.
“That’s why the World Cup is amazing. A small team can almost undo a giant.”
“Almost as unbelievable as your playoff run to a world championship and dropping 45 in the final game!”
“Great match indeed! Cape Verde showed up tonight.”
“That’s right, Captain…. Almost as good as that game 4 comeback in the Garden, my man!”
“The game was actually amazing! Capo Verde put on a damn game. Argentina was actually nervous even though they still won.”
This match also added to Lionel Messi’s historic FIFA World Cup run. After scoring one of Argentina’s three goals tonight, Messi has once again taken the lead in the Golden Boot race (most goals scored in a tournament) with seven goals, whereas he’s being closely followed by Kylian Mbappe, who also seems to have fans on the Knicks.
After their NBA Finals win, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Deuce McBride went to watch Senegal vs. France, presumably to support the 2018 champions of the FIFA World Cup.
Pendant ce temps, les champions NBA OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges et Deuce McBride profitent de France/Sénégal ! 👀⚽️ pic.twitter.com/RmmIkcPiZ8
— 50 Nuances 🇺🇸🏀 (@50NuancesDeNBA) June 16, 2026
While all eyes were on Argentina due to the pressure of being defending champions, this match was even more special because they faced a fan-favorite team in Cape Verde, which had won a lot of hearts over in their battle to reach this stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history.
Even though it is unclear who Brunson was rooting for, he recognizes that this battle between a soccer giant nation like Argentina and a country like Cape Verde, which has a population of almost 600,000 people, was iconic to watch and one that will always be remembered by fans.
The crossover between NBA and soccer stars continues to grow, and Brunson’s reaction was another reminder of Messi’s global influence. Whether on the basketball court or the soccer pitch, elite athletes appreciate excellence, and Brunson’s response reflected the admiration that Messi commands and rightfully deserves from fellow superstars around the sports world.
