The squad sheets are officially here at Miami Stadium, and both managers have made huge changes ahead of this high-stakes Round of 32 clash!
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni completely changed the depth of his squad, making nine comprehensive changes to the side that ended the group stage against Jordan. However, the headline news is exactly what the Miami crowd came to see – the captain Lionel Messi reclaiming his throne in the starting eleven after the break. He is joined by Lautaro MartÃnez and Thiago Almada in a lethal front line.
On the other side of the trenches, Cape Verde boss Bubista is also not sitting on the defensive. He succeeded five bold changes to the lineup that brought a historic draw against Saudi Arabia. Dynamic options like Steven Moreira, Sidny Cabral, Laros Duarte, Nuno da Costa and Jovane Cabral march into the XI as the underdogs look to pull off a historic heist.
Here’s how both teams stack up for this epic knockout match:
Argentina starting XI (4-1-2-3):
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Gatekeeper: Emiliano Martinez
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Defenders: Facundo Medina, Lisandro MartÃnez, Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina
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Midfielders:​ Alexis McAllister, Enzo Fernández, Rodrigo De Paul
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Forward:​​ Thiago Almada, Lautaro MartÃnez, Lionel Messi (C)
Cape Verde starting XI (4-1-4-1):
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Gatekeeper: Vozinha
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Defenders: Sidney Cabral, Diney Borges, Roberto Lopes, Steven Moreira
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Defensive midfielders: Kevin Pina
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Midfielders: Ryan Mendes, Deroy Duarte, Laros Duarte, Jovane Cabral
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Forward: Nuno da Costa
