The Argentina national team will wear the sky blue and white shirt against Cabo Verde at the World Cup.

Argentina wore their alternate kit in the 3-1 win against Jordan at the World Cup but they will wear the sky blue and white in their Round of 32 game. Lionel Scaloni’s team will have the sky blue and white shirt with white shorts and white socks for the game against Cabo Verde.

Argentina’s biggest injury concern ahead of the knockout stage is still Cristian Romero. The defender is continuing his recovery after suffering a knock to his right knee during the win over Austria and remains a doubt for Friday’s Round of 16 match against Cape Verde at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

At the moment, Romero’s chances of playing are still uncertain. His situation will be evaluated day by day, and it will be important to see if he can train with the rest of the squad on Monday and Tuesday.

The concern came because the pain appeared in the same knee where the Tottenham defender had previously suffered a ligament injury earlier this season. That immediately worried Argentina’s coaching staff and supporters.

However, the news has become much more positive over the last few days.

Romero did not play in Argentina’s final group-stage match against Jordan as a precaution. The coaching staff decided not to take any risks and wanted to give him extra time to recover before the knockout rounds.

During the Austria game, Romero was seen on the bench with ice on his knee, which caused concern among fans. But after further checks, Argentina believes the injury is not serious.

Head coach Lionel Scaloni also gave a positive update.

“Cuti is doing well. He has not trained with the group yet, but he is working separately and doing intense exercises. Right now, it looks less serious than we first thought, and that gives us peace of mind,” Scaloni said.

Inside Argentina’s camp, there is optimism that Romero will be ready for Friday’s match. Still, the coaching staff will continue to monitor him during the remaining training sessions before making a final decision.

If Romero is not fully fit, Scaloni will not take any chances. In that case, veteran defender Nicolás Otamendi is expected to return to the starting lineup.

The Argentina national team have scored seven free kick goals at the World Cup.

Giovani Lo Celso and Lionel Messi both scored free kicks for Argentina in their 3-1 win against Jordan, making it seven free kicks scored for Argentina. Luis Monti scored Argentina’s first free kick at a World Cup in 1930 against France.

Ernesto Belis scored four years later at the 1934 World Cup against Sweden. Miguel Brindisi would score for Argentina at the 1974 World Cup against Brazil.

At the 1982 World Cup, Daniel Passarella would score for Argentina against Italy. Lionel Messi would score his first free kick at the World Cup in 2014 against Nigeria.

Lo Celso and Messi would score the two free kicks against Jordan. Lionel Messi has two free kick goals for the Argentina national team at the World Cup, the most scored by an Argentine player.

Nico Paz spoke about playing at the World Cup with the Argentina national team and following in his father’s footsteps.

The father of Nico Paz, Pablo Paz, played at the 1998 World Cup with the Argentina national team. Nico Paz started for Argentina in their 3-1 win against Jordan at the World Cup. Speaking to Diario Olé after Argentina’s win, here is what he had to say:

“It’s incredible, to be able to follow in his foot steps is a source of pride for me. He’s helped me a lot in my life, he’s given me advice and today, he told me to stay calm, to enjoy it. And that in the end, it’s a unique situation that many people would love to be in. That’s why I enjoyed it so much.”