Copa America 2019: Best XI going into the tournament

Defensive Midfielder: Rodrigo Bentancur (Uruguay)

Uruguay’s anchorman made a strong case for himself on the international front after a successful World Cup campaign in a personal capacity. He then replicated some of his feats in the 2018-19 season for the Bianconeri, and now stands a chance to push his stock higher.

Bentancur has always been highly rated, and in his first ever Copa America appearance, lies an opportunity to truly come of age.

Attacking midfielder: James Rodriguez (Colombia)

Rodriguez can look upon his 2014 World Cup heroics for inspiration

Underutilized at Real Madrid, the 27-year old went on to resurrect his career after two highly successful stints at Bayern Munich. Mind you, he wasn’t offered a consistent role, and yet managed to rack up 15 goals and 20 assists in 55 games.

Wherever his boat shores him up next, he’s definitely going to be a valuable asset to that team. But for the moment, Los Cafeteros need him to replicate those heroics to progress far into the tournament.

Attacking midfielder: Angel Di Maria (Argentina)

PSG’s prolific attacking triumvirate of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani has eclipsed most of the squad, including Di Maria. However, his statistics of 19 goals and 17 assists in 45 appearances suggest he had a fine season too.

There’s more to his game than just that. His brilliant link-up play coupled with the ability to pick out passes in key positions make him unplayable at times. And while the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero are set to spearhead Argentina’s line-up, the former Real Madrid star will be the catalyst in eking out the results.