With Messi on the pitch, Argentina’s likely line-up to face Angola | OneFootball

The Argentina National Team is preparing to close out its football year with a friendly match against Angola in Luanda, and Lionel Scaloni is finalizing the details of the starting lineup. With several tests and the intention of giving minutes to all those called up, the coach is expected to rely on a solid base with Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, and Thiago Almada leading the attack.

Gerónimo Rulli will be in goal, while the starting defense will feature Juan Foyth, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, and Nicolás Tagliafico. If Cuti is not in optimal physical condition, Marcos Senesi will take his place. In the second half, Kevin Mac Allister is expected to replace Foyth, while Colo Barco will also get minutes in the second half.

In midfield, Scaloni will stick to his usual structure with Rodrigo De Paul and Alexis Mac Allister as regulars, accompanied by a third midfielder who will be either Giovani Lo Celso or Nicolás Paz, one of the options the coach is considering trying once again.

The attack will be led by Messi, accompanied by Lautaro and Almada. However, the coach plans to give everyone some playing time: José Manuel López will get minutes, and Gianluca Prestianni, one of the great promises of Argentine football, could make his debut with the Senior National Team.

Scaloni’s idea is for all the called-up players to participate in this year-end match, which will be the last friendly before the 2026 World Cup draw, with the aim of continuing to expand the squad rotation and keeping competitiveness alive within the world champion team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.