Scaloni’s warning
The world champion Argentina already has a clear message: no confidence. Next Friday in Miami, the Albiceleste faces Cape Verde in the round of 32 of the World Cup, a duel that the South Americans face as favorites, but with their feet on the ground.
“I was not surprised by Cape Verde, because they are a good team, fast, that plays well and has quality,” said Lionel Scaloni after beating Jordan 3-1.
Cape Verde, with just over 500,000 inhabitants, debuted in a World Cup with three draws: 0-0 against Spain, 2-2 with Uruguay and 0-0 against Saudi Arabia. Their tough defense and stellar goalkeeper Vozinha have kept them undefeated in their last 15 games, except for one loss. In the African qualifiers they did not lose.
“They are a tough rival, who is going to make things difficult for us because they have already made things difficult for Spain. And above all because of the things that are being seen in this World Cup, we have to be careful,” warned Scaloni.
Argentina closed the group stage with 8 goals for and 1 against. Messi, at 39 years old, has 6 goals in the tournament and 19 historic goals. The team occupies first place in the FIFA ranking, with a squad valued at almost 1 billion dollars, compared to 60 million for Cape Verde. But the coach and the players avoid any triumphalism.
“Any team will try to put us in difficulty. Game by game,” recalled Leandro Paredes, citing the defeat against Saudi Arabia in Qatar 2022.
Defender Nicolás Otamendi added: “Cape Verde got the results they did for a reason. They competed, they are an aggressive team.”
Argentina arrives rested: Scaloni preserved the starters against Jordan. Messi played 30 minutes and scored from a free kick, becoming the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup games. The team seeks to repeat the title that no champion has achieved since Brazil in 1962. If it beats Cape Verde, it will face the winner of Australia-Egypt in Dallas.
