Argentina brought their group stage to a serene close with a 3-1 win over Jordan in Kansas City, finishing with a perfect nine points. Giovani Lo Celso marked his long-awaited World Cup debut by curling in a free-kick after 19 minutes, and Lionel Messi, already among the tournament’s top scorers, added another set-piece after coming off the bench. The victory followed earlier defeats of Algeria 3-0 and Austria 2-0, matching the 2014 side’s group-stage sweep and extending the team’s unbeaten run to nine matches.

The result confirmed a round-of-32 meeting on 3 July with Cape Verde, the World Cup debutants who confounded expectations by holding Spain to a goalless draw, battling back to 2-2 against Uruguay, and drawing 1-1 with Saudi Arabia to finish second in Group H. Head coach Lionel Scaloni was quick to dismiss any suggestion of a straightforward evening. “They are a good team, they have made things difficult for all three of their rivals,” he told reporters after the Jordan game. “They are a tough rival and will make it difficult for us because they already did it to Spain.” He highlighted the African side’s speed and technical quality, warning that the encounter demand Argentina’s complete focus.

Scaloni used the final group fixture to experiment, deploying midfielder Exequiel Palacios at right-back to rest Nahuel Molina and protect Gonzalo Montiel, who is carrying a minor injury. The coach also voiced frustration at the scheduling of the Miami match, to be played under broiling afternoon sun. “We are going to play in extreme heat, at a time that is hard to understand, but everyone else is doing it so we cannot complain,” he said. The availability of centre-back Cristian Romero, who missed the Jordan win with a knock, remains uncertain.

Viewed from São Paulo, the knockout bracket offers a benign route for the defending champions. Should Argentina advance past Cape Verde, they would face the winner of Australia versus Egypt in the last 16, and a potential quarter-final would keep them away from any top-10 FIFA-ranked nation until the semi-finals. England, Brazil and Mexico all sit on the opposite side of the draw. Within the squad, however, the tone was one of caution. Midfielder Leandro Paredes stressed that the first objective had been met but the ambition is to go further, while forward Giuliano Simeone insisted the focus remains inward. Messi’s decision to begin on the bench—he had already netted in all three group-stage fixtures—was applauded by Scaloni as a gesture of trust in his team-mates.

Argentina now head to Miami, where Messi is a local icon, to confront a Cape Verde side whose fairytale has already jolted the tournament’s established order. Kick-off at Hard Rock Stadium is set for Friday evening local time, with Scaloni’s warnings still ringing in the Albiceleste dressing room.