Argentina’s hard-fought 3-2 overtime win over Cape Verde in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32 left more than a few scares along the way, with several players pushed to their physical limits across the full 120 minutes in Miami.
The grueling nature of the match raised genuine concern within the coaching staff, given how little recovery time separates this round from the Round of 16 clash against Egypt, set for July 7 at Atlanta Stadium.
With barely three training sessions standing between the two matches, Lionel Scaloni‘s medical staff spent the days that followed closely monitoring three players in particular who showed signs of physical distress during the win.
Three names in particular stood out among those the medical staff kept a close eye on in the aftermath of the win: Facundo Medina, Enzo Fernandez, and Nicolas Gonzalez, each dealing with a different physical issue that surfaced during the demanding 120 minutes against Cape Verde.
Fortunately for Argentina, initial fears proved overblown. According to ESPN’s Martin Arevalo, none of the affected players are considered to be dealing with anything serious, and all three are expected to be available, in some capacity, for the Round of 16 matchup.
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Facundo Medina
Medina, who had won the starting left-back role thanks to a strong group stage, set off alarm bells when he went down shortly after Argentina had already used up its substitution windows, eventually having to walk off with visible difficulty.
“He ended up very tired because we used him a lot going forward. He played in several positions and ended up with cramps, but he’s fine,” Scaloni said in his press conference, playing down the severity of the issue.
Enzo Fernandez
“Enzo cramped up a little but recovered afterward. He cramped up again but we didn’t have any substitution windows left,” Scaloni explained after the match, making clear that the Chelsea midfielder is healthy despite what happened on the pitch.
Fernandez himself downplayed the issue once the final whistle blew. “I cramped up around the 75th, 80th minute. You always have to give a little extra with the national team. It reminds me of when I was a kid and always dreamed of being here. That’s always an extra boost,” he told TyC Sports after the game.
Nicolas Gonzalez
Gonzalez suffered a twisted left ankle that left him limping for several minutes. He was able to continue and finish the match regardless. While the injury could have been more serious, he took part in regenerative training with the group on Friday and did not undergo any further medical scans, a reassuring sign for his availability going forward.
