Argentina’s World Cup defense has so far gone down without a hitch, and it continues in the round of 32 against debutant Cabo Verde on Friday.
Expectations certainly weren’t as high for Lionel Scaloni’s team entering this summer’s tournament compared to three-and-a-half years ago, with history working against them on this occasion. No team has retained the World Cup since Brazil went back-to-back in 1958 and 1962, and few believed an injury-affected Lionel Messi could embark on a campaign rivalling his masterpiece in the Gulf.
