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

Murals, flags and beef dishes - Messi mania takes hold in MiamiTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.This video can not be playedFigure caption, Messi opens the scoring against Cape Verde with 'sensational' finishByElizabeth ConwaySpanish football reporter, AtMiami StadiumPublished3 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 said before kick-off. "He's like our God.""He has aged like fine wine," another said. "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 said. "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 li...