Almada: Argentina Must 'Suffer' Through World Cup Matches, Aims for Improvement

Thiago Almada, an attacker for the Argentine national football team, stated that the squad understands they will need to endure difficult moments during the World Cup. He stressed the importance of improving their performance ahead of their upcoming Round of 16 match against Egypt.

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It's a World Cup, we know that at times we are going to suffer. The other day the team knew how to suffer, knew how to pull the game forward, we were able to look for it always.

"It's a World Cup, we know that at times we are going to suffer. The other day the team knew how to suffer, knew how to pull the game forward, we were able to look for it always," Almada commented on the team's hard-fought 3-2 extra-time victory against Cape Verde in the previous round. He added that the team has "a very big expectation" for the match against Egypt, but highlighted that "there hasn't been much time to train" following the demanding game last Friday.

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There hasn't been much time to train.

Almada, who has played in all four of Argentina's matches in the tournament, acknowledged the difficulty of the competition, stating, "Any team can give you a game, it's a very difficult World Cup." He also noted that "all matches leave things to learn and correct." The player, who was key in the South American qualifiers, has started in matches against Algeria, Austria, and Cape Verde, coming on as a substitute against Jordan when coach Lionel Scaloni fielded an alternative lineup.

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Any team can give you a game, it's a very difficult World Cup.

Addressing criticism from some fans regarding his performance, Almada expressed, "I know I can give much more to the team offensively, we have to correct the errors and improve." When asked about his role, which is similar to that of the now-retired Ángel Di María, a pivotal player in the 2022 World Cup final, Almada stated, "I cannot replace Ángel because he is a historic player for the national team, unique. But I try to do my job as I was doing in the previous matches."

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I know I can give much more to the team offensively, we have to correct the errors and improve.