The team sheets are official here at Miami Stadium, and both managers are throwing some big curveballs ahead of this high-stakes Round of 32 matchup!
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni completely overhauled the depth of his squad, making: nine major changes with the side closing out the group stage against Jordan. The headline, however, is exactly what the Miami-captain crowd saw Lionel Messi reclaiming his throne in the starting eleven after being rested. He was flanked by Lautaro Martínez and Thiago Almada in a lethal looking frontline.
On the other side of the trenches, Cape Verde boss Bubista is not sitting on the defensive either. He already did five bold changes: in 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 march into the XI as the biggest underdogs look to pull off a historic heist.
Here’s how the two teams line up for this epic knockout fixture.
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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Ahead::: Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martinez, Lionel Messi (C)
Cape Verde Starting XI (4-1-4-1).
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Goalkeeper: Vozinha:
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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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Ahead: Nuno da Costa