Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has issued a firm warning to his squad ahead of their FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash with Cape Verde, urging his players to treat the contest with the full respect it deserves.

Scaloni's message is clear: no opponent at this stage of the tournament should be taken lightly, and Cape Verde — a nation whose footballing rise has captured attention across the continent — represent exactly the kind of side capable of springing a major upset.

The reigning world champions are expected to advance, but Scaloni appears determined to ensure complacency does not creep into his camp ahead of what could prove a demanding fixture.

Cape Verde have earned a reputation as a resilient, tactically disciplined outfit, and their qualification for the tournament itself stands as a testament to the rapid development of football in the island nation. For Scaloni, that pedigree demands caution.

Argentina, who lifted the World Cup trophy in Qatar in 2022, will enter the match as strong favourites. Nevertheless, the weight of that status brings its own pressures, and Scaloni's public caution signals he will leave nothing to chance in his preparation.

The round of 32 represents the point in the tournament where margins shrink and the cost of underestimating an opponent can be fatal. Scaloni's warning, delivered publicly, appears as much a message to the wider football world as it is to his own dressing room.