The team sheets are officially here at Miami Stadium, and both managers have thrown huge curveballs ahead of this 32-inning matchup!
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has completely flexed the depth of his squad, making nine radical changes to the side that wrapped up the group stage against Jordan. The headliner, however, is exactly what the Miami crowd came to see — the captain Lionel Messi take his throne in the starting eleven after being rested. He is joined by Lautaro Martínez and Thiago Almada in a lethal first line.
On the other side of the trenches, the leader of Cape Verde, Bubista, is not sitting on the defensive. he did five bold changes to the setup that earned a historic draw against Saudi Arabia. Dynamic options like Steven Moreira, Sidny Cabral, Laros Duarte, Nuno da Costa, and Jovane Cabral all walk into the XI as the ultimate underdogs aim to pull off a historic heist.
Here’s how the two teams line up for this epic elimination match:
Argentina starting XI (4-1-2-3):
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goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez
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Defenders: Facundo Medina, Lisandro Martínez, Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina
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Midfielders:. Alexis McAllister, Enzo Fernandez, Rodrigo De Paul
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Go ahead:.. Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martinez, Lionel Messi (C)
Cape Verde starting XI (4-1-4-1):
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goalkeeper: little voice
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Defenders: Sidney Cabral, Diney Borges, Roberto Lopes, Steven Moreira
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Defensive Midfielder: Kevin Pina
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Midfielders: Ryan Mendes, Deroy Duarte, Laros Duarte, Jovane Cabral
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Go ahead: None from Costa