The peculiar request from Cristian “Cuti” Romero before the start of the match against Cape Verde

The Argentine National Team suffered more than expected, but achieved a dramatic 3-2 victory against Cape Verde and secured their qualification for the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. The main protagonist of the night in Miami was Cristian "Cuti" Romero, the author of the goal that unlocked a tense match and allowed the team led by Lionel Scaloni to stay alive in the competition.

The defender appeared in the second extra time with a precise header in the opponent's area to give the Albiceleste the definitive advantage. After the goal, Argentina withstood the last attempts from the African team and secured their place in the next stage, where they will face Egypt.

After the match, Romero surprised by revealing an episode that occurred minutes before the start of the game. While the team was preparing for the traditional official photograph, he asked a member of the National Team to quickly return to the locker room to fetch a very special item.

The reason was simple: he wanted to have holy water before stepping onto the field.

"Yes, I asked for holy water and they brought it to me," he admitted with a smile when asked by reporters.

The defender also shared that he experienced that moment with his defensive partner, Lisandro Martínez.

"We both used it," he explained, referring to the small ritual before the match.