Attacking midfield and upfront:
Eden Hazard (Belgium) – Another Chelsea connection, Belgium’s Eden Hazard is up there with the very best attacking midfielders in the world, and gets in ahead of some fierce competition here to line up alongside three of Argentina’s stars.
Angel Di Maria (Argentina) – One of the best creative wingers in the game, Angel Di Maria scored a crucial winner in extra time against Switzerland in the last round despite an ineffective game overall. Still, after such a superb season for Real Madrid, the 26-year-old would get into most sides in the world, and is being targeted by Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United this summer.
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – An easy choice, Lionel Messi is continuing to confirm his status as the best player in the world with some terrific displays for Argentina at this World Cup, carrying his team to four victories in four games so far. The Barcelona man has four goals and one assist to show for his efforts, and will be a serious contender for the Golden Boot if his side can progress further.
Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina) – A tricky choice with so many top-class strikers in both ranks, but Gonzalo Higuain just gets in ahead of Manchester City star Sergio Aguero purely on the basis that his team-mate is currently injured and won’t be involved in tonight’s game. Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku is another strong contender for a place upfront in this combined XI, but Napoli goal machine Higuain is up there with the best in the world on his day, despite a muted tournament so far.
Argentina & Belgium Combined XI in full:
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