Finally, Argentine boss Lionel Scaloni has announced the squad of Argentina for the FIFA World Cup. Teams like Brazil, Spain, England, and Germany announced their squad earlier. But Argentina took more time to submit their lineup.
Due to doubts about some players, the manager waited to confirm the lineup. Manager Lionel Scaloni was concerned about Giovani Lo Celso and Paulo Dybala’s fitness. Unfortunately, Lo Celso didn’t recover and left out the squad. Paulo Dybala, however, has secured a place in the squad.
Argentina’s Final Squad
Captaining Lionel Messi, manager Scaloni just has announced the 26-men squad for the FIFA World Cup. The full squad is given below:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal), Franco Armani (River Plate).
Defenders: Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), German Pezzella (Real Betis), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Marcos Acuna (Sporting CP), Nicolas Tagliafico, (Lyon), Juan Foyth (Villarreal).
Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, (Atletico Madrid), Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton & Hove Albion), Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla), Enzo Fernandez (Benfica), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen).
Attackers: Angel Di Maria (Juventus), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina), Joaquin Correa (Inter Milan), Paulo Dybala (AS Roma), Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain).
How will be Argentina’s lineup?
Argentina have been unbeaten in their last 35 games under Lionel Scaloni. It is the longest unbeaten run in the current football world. However, manager Scaloni used the formation of 4-3-3 in most of these games. Therefore, the manager will likely continue to do so during the World Cup.
Emiliano Martinez is an auto choice for the manager between the goal bars. Marcos Acuna and Nicolas Tagliafico are favorites to play as the two full-backs. But the manager will have to think twice about his center-back options. Christian Romero will definitely start from the beginning. In recent matches, Nicholas Otamendi has played brilliantly with Romero. But Lisandro Martinez has been playing like a beast in Man United’s shirt. He has become one of the best center-back in the EPL. So, the manager has to decide whether to start Martinez or Otamendi.
Giovani Lo Celso was one of his midfielders in the unbeaten run. But as he is out of the squad, who will replace him? Enzo Fernandez is among the favorites to play in Lo Celso’s shoes. In recent days, Enzo Fernandez has made himself one of the strongest candidates to play in the world cup. So, he will likely start with De Paul and Parades in midfield.
The attacking lineup has always been a strong zone for Argentina. Like the previous world cup, Argentina have many options for attack. Captain Lionel Messi will lead the front line. The manager has been playing Lautaro Martinez as the striker. Moreover, Martinez is also performing great in Inter Milan’s shirt. However, Julian Alverez is also getting goals for Manchester City. As a result, the manager has options for the front area. Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Gonzalez will be the manager’s right-wing options for World Cup.
Predicted Starting XI
Emiliano Martinez, Marcos Acuna, Nicolas Tagliafico, Nicholas Otamendi, Christian Romero, Leandro Parades, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, and Angel Di Maria.