Argentina Football Formation

Lineup (4-4-1-1)

1. Emiliano "Emi" Dibu Martinez (GK)
3. Lisandro "Licha" Martinez (CB)
4. Nicolas Otamendi (CB)
5. Gonzalo Montiel (RB/CB)
2. Marcos Acuña (LB/LW)
6. Leandro Paredes (CM/CDM)
7. Enzo Fernandez (CM)
8. Mac Allister (LM/CM/CAM)
11. Di Marìa (RM/RW)
10. Lionel Messi (CF/CAM)
9. Julian Àlvarez (ST/LW)

Julian essentially plays as ST/LW, stretching the field's width when necesttk allow Messi, Mac Allister to go in for the goals with Enzo in behind, he also plays as a poacher waiting for balls from Messi, Di Marìa, Enzo, Paredes, and Mac. Possible substitute is Lautaro Martinez.

Messi plays as a false 9/free-roaming Forward/CAM, dropping into midfield to pick up the ball and cause creative transitions with Paredes and Mac Allister. When Di Marìa stretches the pitch, Messi goes in or waits outside the box for the cross. Fernandez as support. Possible substitute is Paulo Dybala.

Di Marìa plays as wide as can be but drops down into becoming a half line winger and waits for the ball in from behind by Enzo/Paredes. Lets Messi occupy the wide areas upfront while he stays back on the midfield line to make his signature runs when there's space. He's struggling when being closed in. Messi won't. Possible substitute is Garnacho.

Enzo as a box-to-box midfielder, providing attacking support, playing transitions, quick 2-1 passing lanes with Messi and Paredes. Also defensive support occasionally. Possible substitute is Rodrigo De Paul.

Paredes as a deep-lying playmaker and defensive midfielder, doesn't support the attack during runs but stays back and defends. Possible substitute is Guido Rodriguez. Even likely.

Mac Allister fills the lo celso role, playing as an LM, CM, and CAM as the game dictates. If more pace is needed and more width, he plays as a stretching winger alongside Di Marìa, if attack is needed and provided + passing lanes with Messi and Di Marìa and Julian Àlvarez, he is deployed as a CAM, when pressure off the midfield is needed to be taken off he becomes CM and joins Paredes and Enzo in midfield to create midfield supremacy. As the dynamo/joker of the field, his position is more important. Possible substitute is Àngel Correa/Papu Gomez.

Marcus Acuña plays as left back but aids Mac Allister and Alvarez in attack on the left flank if needed and when necessary. A more advanced fullback. He plays as a wing back and helps Mac Allister and Àlvarez match the creative brilliance of Messi + Fernandez+ Di Marìa on the other end. Possible substitute is Nicolas Tagliafico.

The defense is then shifted when Acuña transitions into attack when Argentina has the ball, to ensure no counter attacks happening, Licha and Otamendi will shut shit down by going out wide, Licha becomes an LCB while Ota becomes a normal centralized CB, with Montiel becoming a more reserved Right Back and falling into a CB position to allow Di Marìa, and Messi to do their business with the help of Enzo.

If the ball is unable to be transitioned and an attack started. Argentina will pass the ball into the midfield where Mac Allister will drop in and play as a CM with Paredes and Enzo in a 3 CM midfield to ensure numerical superiority, physicality and vision, while Acuña covers the green space on the left. Messi goes out wide and allows Di Marìa to fall in centralized waiting for the cross.

Game plan is to try and score early on using the individual brilliance of Messi, Di Marìa, Enzo, Mac, Àlvarez. With brilliant runs and brave attacks with lots of dribbling and out of box shooting. If Argentina isn't lucky enough for that to happen, they will rely on their midfield punching around and passing their way across with Enzo-Paredes-Mac, creating numerical superiority and waiting on Messi to drop down to make passing transitions easy and 1-2 attacks that end with a goal. In a more creative and attacking side, the counterattack is relied upon until a goal is scored by Argentina. When this happens, Argentina closes up shop with all of Mac Allister, Enzo, and Paredes falling back to defend. Then, as the opposition starts to gain momentum, Mac Allister drops back to help in a possible counter attack when necessary.

On the counter, Argentina uses Lisandro Martinez for line-breaking passes, Messi for his creative passes, Di Marìa for his speed and finishing, Julian Àlvarez for finishing.

Defend the whole game after scoring the goal, if the opportunity arises to score a second one, go for it, but you need to rely on your defense and midfield to close up shop and control the pace and tempo of the game.

Possible defense lineup changes is Cristian Romero for Lisandro Martinez and/or Nicolas Otamendi. Nicolas Tagliafico for Marcos Acuña, and Nahuel Molina for Gonzalo Montiel.

After the first half, if the first goal is scored, take out Di Marìa, replace him with Cristian Romero and transition into uber-defensive 5-at-the-back formation. If not, wait til 70 minutes and sub off Di Marìa. Garnacho will get you a goal if necessary, especially if you need a late goal, but if Argentina is up, Romero comes on for Di Marìa and leave the kid on the bench. Sub off Paredes for Guido Rodriguez for some fresh legs. De Paul for Enzo. Papu for Mac if you need to win the game, Àngel
correa if you just wanna see off the game.

Tagliafico comes on for Acuña, Molina comes off for Montiel.

Àlvarez and Martinez need to fight for the spot, tooth-and-nail.