Argentina National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

Martinet (Brey) · Pérez (Foyth) · Balerdi (M. Quarta) · Medina (Senesi) · Soler (Barco) · Barrenechea (Moreno) · Paz (Buonanotte) · Echeverri (Almada) · Soulé (Carboni) · Garnacho (Simeone) · Beltrán (Álvarez)

Argentina aims to be defensively solid and hit opponents on the break. They use a 5-4-1 formation to stay compact. This is a lineup designed to win the ball deep and play quickly in transition to exploit space.

Martinet plays in goal to protect the area. The back line consists of a back five that can drop into a low block to deny space. Barrenechea sits in the center to hold the line, while Medina and Balerdi act as wide centre-backs to cover the channels and support the wing backs. Pérez and Soler operate as attacking wing backs to provide width and push up the pitch when the team has the ball. This unit works together to squeeze the space and force the opponent to play wide.

The midfield consists of a four man block to control the central zone. Paz acts as a single pivot to shield the defense and win the second ball. Echeverri and Garnacho play in the central roles, with Garnacho using his pace and dribbling to carry the ball forward. Soulé plays as an attacking ten behind the striker to link the lines and arrive late into the box. This midfield works to recycle possession and find the players in advanced positions through the lines.

Beltrán leads the attack as a lone striker and works as a target man to hold up the ball. He looks to find the feet of his teammates or play with his back to goal. The width comes from Pérez and Soler who act to stretch the defense by hugging the touchline. The team builds attacks through quick combinations and looks to hit in behind on the transition. This creates chances for runs in behind the defensive line and cutbacks from the byline.

Argentina finds success through its compactness when defending. The tight lines make it difficult for any opponent to play through the middle or find gaps. The team also uses the speed of transition to move from a deep block to an attacking position in seconds. The ability to use overlapping wing backs creates wide overloads that can isolate defenders in one on one situations.

The 5-4-1 formation makes Argentina a very difficult team to break down. It is most effective when playing against teams that dominate possession and need to be caught on the counter.