Argentina concluded the group stage of the World Cup with a flawless record, securing three wins from three matches, including a 3-1 victory over Jordan on June 27. The defending champions, who claimed the title in 2022, displayed strong form throughout the initial phase of the tournament, with Lionel Messi scoring in all three games. In the match against Jordan, several key players, including Messi, were rested and introduced off the bench, highlighting the team’s depth.

Center back Nicolas Otamendi expressed satisfaction with the squad’s performance, emphasizing the team’s preparation and collective responsibility. “The players who came in understood each other well,” Otamendi said. “They know the responsibility it is to put on this jersey in a competition like this. I’m really happy, as is the group, because everyone is taking advantage of their chances, making the manager think.” However, he acknowledged that there were areas for improvement, particularly in defense, as conceding a goal to Jordan prevented Argentina from keeping a clean sheet in all their group matches.

Midfielder Leandro Paredes described the team’s group stage performance as “spectacular” and noted that their primary goal was to advance, which they accomplished comfortably. He added that the knockout rounds would present a new challenge, referring to them as the “do-or-die starts” of the tournament.

Argentina’s path forward features a Round of 32 match against Cape Verde, who qualified against expectations, scheduled for July 3. Should Argentina advance, they would face the victor of the Australia-Egypt fixture in the Round of 16. Despite the seemingly manageable draw, head coach Lionel Scaloni urged caution, emphasizing the need for continued focus and effort. “There’s nothing to get confused about. We have to go forward, keep playing, keep giving our best,” Scaloni said. When asked to assess his team’s performance so far, Scaloni refrained from assigning a numerical rating but acknowledged the squad’s strong showing, adding that a new stage of the competition was now beginning.