Argentina wary of the Cape Verde phenomenon.

TPO - After a convincing performance in the group stage, the Argentine national team immediately shifted their focus to the next challenge, Cape Verde, in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup. Despite being considered to have a relatively favorable draw, the defending champions affirmed that they will not underestimate their African opponent.

Argentina finished the group stage with a perfect record to secure first place in Group J. Coach Lionel Scaloni's team successively defeated Algeria 3-0, Austria 2-0, and Jordan 3-1, with captain Lionel Messi continuing his explosive form with 6 goals in three matches.

Albiceleste's next opponent is Cape Verde – a team making its first World Cup appearance but creating a fairytale story by drawing 0-0 with Spain and 2-2 with Uruguay to secure a place in the knockout round.

Following assessments suggesting Argentina had an easy path to the next round, coach Lionel Scaloni immediately warned his players not to be complacent.

"If I were sitting here and saying that Cape Verde isn't a tough opponent, that would be a lie. Many people may not think so, but I can confirm they are a very good team and will cause us a lot of difficulties," the Argentinian strategist emphasized.

According to the draw, Argentina will not have to face any world champions before the semi-finals if they advance further. Nevertheless, within the South American team, everyone is focusing entirely on the upcoming match.

Striker Giuliano Simeone shared: "We always focus on ourselves. In the World Cup, every opponent is dangerous. The most important thing is to maximize our strengths to make things difficult for them."

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Midfielder Leandro Paredes also affirmed that Argentina's goal doesn't stop at just getting through the group stage: "We've achieved our first goal, but now we want to go further. The whole team will start preparing for the match against Cape Verde as soon as we return to training."

According to the original plan, Argentina was scheduled to train in Kansas City last weekend before traveling to Miami to prepare for the match on July 3rd. However, the Argentine Football Association decided to cancel the training session, giving the entire team an extra day off and returning to the training ground on Monday to ensure they are fit for the knockout stage.

Coach Scaloni also confirmed that center-back Cristian Romero, who suffered an injury in the match against Austria, remains the only player unavailable.

Lo Celso writes a beautiful ending after an 8-year wait.

The victory against Jordan also held special significance as it marked the first World Cup match for five Argentinian players: Giuliano Simeone, Giovani Lo Celso, Valentin Barco, Marcos Senesi, and Jose Manuel Lopez.

Among them, Giovani Lo Celso left the strongest impression with a spectacular goal from a direct free kick in the 19th minute. It was a well-deserved reward for the midfielder born in 1996 after a challenging journey.

Lo Celso was called up for the 2018 World Cup but didn't get a chance to play, before missing out on the 2022 World Cup title due to injury just before the tournament began.

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"I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time. I've dreamed about it so many times, and the reality is even more amazing than I imagined. Sooner or later, the efforts will be rewarded. This has been a long journey, and tonight is even more beautiful than my dreams," Lo Celso shared emotionally.

Coach Scaloni was also delighted to see his pupil shine.

"Lo Celso has been with us from the very beginning. He's a fantastic guy and he missed the 2022 World Cup in a very unfortunate way. We're really happy that he got to enjoy this well-deserved moment today. Lo Celso has always been a very important part of this team."

Source: https://tienphong.vn/argentina-de-chung-hien-tuong-cape-verde-post1855222.tpo