FIFA World Cup 2018: 3 lesser-known Argentina players who could impress 

#2 Cristian Pavon - Winger, Striker

Messi praised Cristian Pavon after the friendly against Haiti

A splendid two-year spell at Boca Juniors had earned Cristian Pavon a place in the Argentina national team for friendlies against Russia and Nigeria last November.

He had an impressive debut against Russia, assisting Sergio Aguero on the only goal of the game.

He was equally impressive in their 4-0 win against Haiti last week, assisting Lionel Messi for his third goal of the match; so much so that the Barcelona wizard had only words of praise for him.

“I found myself a new partner in Pavon. He is a great player. A different kind of player” said Messi after the match.

If one aspect that hurt Argentina the most in qualifying, it was their lack of imagination in the final third. There were times during the games where they seemed over-reliant on Messi.

However, if the friendly against Haiti is anything to go by, Pavon’s inclusion has eased the burden off the Barcelona star’s shoulders, liberating him further up the field in the process.

In addition to the pace and quality, the 22-year-old brings to the side, his ability to play on either flank makes him an important asset for the team. No wonder Pavon is attracting interest from many big European clubs of late.

Whether his recent exploits are enough to hand him a place in their starting XI ahead of Angel Di Maria on the left of Argentina attack, remains to be seen but the Boca youngster is a genuine alternative and one of the most exciting young talents to watch out for in Russia – there’s no two ways about it.