Argentina National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

Riquelme · Di Stefano · Crespo · Messi · Maradona · Cambiasso · Zanetti · Heinze · Passarella · Ayala · A. Carrizo

Argentina looks to play a vertical style of football. They focus on hitting the opponent quickly in transition using a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup is built to catch teams out on the break by using high quality players in advanced positions. The goal is to win the ball and move it forward with pace to the front three.

A. Carrizo stays in goal to protect the back line. The defensive unit functions as a back five with Zanetti acting as an attacking wing back on the right and Heinze playing as a left wing back. Cambiasso sits in the center of the defense to hold the line. He is flanked by Ayala and Passarella. Passarella uses his aerial strength to win headers and his reading of the game to intercept passes. Zanetti and Heinze push high to support the attack when the team has the ball, which allows the central defenders to cover the space behind them.

The midfield is a two man pairing of Maradona and Riquelme. Riquelme stays central to control the tempo and uses his vision to find teammates. Maradona uses his dribbling to carry the ball forward and drive into the opposition half. These two connect the defense to the attack by playing through the lines. They must work hard to cover the central space and pick up runners when the team loses possession in the middle.

The attack features three players across the front. Messi plays as an inverted winger on the right and likes to cut inside to create goal scoring chances. Di Stefano operates on the left to provide presence and width. Crespo plays as the lone striker and looks to make runs in behind the defenders to receive the ball. The team uses the width provided by the wing backs to stretch the defence and create space for the attackers to combine in tight spaces.

This Argentina lineup offers great speed of transition when they win the ball. The combination of the wing backs and the front three creates wide overloads that are difficult to mark. The technical ability of the midfield allows the team to recycle possession and wait for the right moment to break quickly.

This 5-2-3 formation is built for rapid counter attacks. It is best used against teams that push too many players forward and leave space behind their defensive line.