“We must be careful”: Scaloni ahead of clash with Cape Verde | OneFootball

After what was a 3-1 win over Jordan to close out Group J of the 2026 World Cup, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni was asked about Cape Verde, the Albiceleste’s opponent in the round of 32. On the matter, the coach was cautious and said that, given the Africans’ results in the group stage, they will be a tough opponent.

“They’re a good team that has made things difficult for all three of their opponents. They’re a tough side that is going to make things difficult for us because they already did it against Spain, one of the favorites, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. From what we’re seeing at this World Cup, we have to be careful. They’re a fast team, with quality, and a good one,” the coach said at the post-win press conference.

At the same time, Scaloni was a bit annoyed by the match time next Friday at 7 p.m. Argentina time (6 p.m. in Miami): “We’re going to play in a lot of heat, at a time that’s hard to understand, but everyone has played like that, so we can’t complain.”

As for the sporting side of things against Jordan, the Pujato native was very pleased to have been able to give minutes to the usual backups, while also saying that the match helped him draw conclusions about the options he has available.

One of those options was Exequiel Palacios at right back. Usually a midfielder, the former River player and current Bayer Leverkusen man lined up in defense, a decision the coach later explained: “It’s a position where we need alternatives. We gave Nahuel (Molina), who was coming off a long layoff, a rest, and I don’t want to risk Gonzalo (Montiel) because I think he can be important at specific moments. Today was a match not to risk anyone and to be able to look at a possible player who can play in that position.”

Another player who earned the coach’s praise was Lionel Messi, who started on the bench but still found a way to score from a free kick after coming on in the second half. On that, Scaloni revealed that it was La Pulga who was willing to start as a substitute so his teammates could play and he could rest with what lies ahead in mind.

“Today he could have played 90 minutes and, without taking anything away from the opponent, could have made that legend even bigger. But he preferred for his teammates to get minutes and to think about what’s coming next. That says a lot about him, because he doesn’t think so much about those numbers people talk about so much. That speaks to what the National Team, the group and his teammates represent to him. After that, I’m like you: there are no words left

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.