Washington, Dec 6 (NationPress) Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni emphasized that his squad will adhere to the strategies that led them to triumph at Qatar 2022 as the world champions evaluated their rivals for the upcoming global competition. They have been placed in Group J alongside Algeria, Austria, and newcomers Jordan. Back home, the Albiceleste are perceived to have a favorable draw, but Scaloni was quick to remind everyone that they will not underestimate any opponent.

“We intend to give our utmost and replicate what we accomplished in the last World Cup, fighting for every ball,” Scaloni asserted. During the draw ceremony, he proudly held the World Cup trophy, a symbol of the expectations resting on Argentina once more.

While the draw was met with enthusiasm in Buenos Aires, Scaloni offered a word of caution, particularly as a challenging knockout stage could be in store for Argentina. If they advance, they are set to confront a team from Group H, which includes heavyweights Spain and Uruguay, along with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.

“As we stated in 2022, there are no easy opponents. Each game must be played. If it’s that group (H), the crossover will be tough. But first, we must overcome the group, and then we will see what happens,” Scaloni remarked.

He acknowledged the strengths of their group opponents. He described Algeria as “a solid team with standout players,” managed by Vladimir Petkovic, who previously coached Scaloni at Lazio. Austria was praised for their “excellent qualifying campaign” after topping their group. Jordan, on their inaugural appearance, was noted as an unpredictable factor, yet Scaloni did not dismiss their potential threat.

The coach reflected on the lessons learned from Qatar, where Argentina suffered an unexpected 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in their opening match. “We carry that experience with us; we have to play the match,” he responded when asked about the possibility of playing against Jordan.