Menezes has four options up front for Peru and still hasn't picked his starter

The roster is set, but the real puzzle is just getting started: who starts up front for Peru? Because if the friendlies under Mano Menezes have made anything clear, it's that the Brazilian coach is fond of a scheme with three men forward: two wingers out wide and a true center forward, the kind who lives glued to the opposing box. The problem, or the good news, depending on how you look at it, is that the options have narrowed this time, and the battle for the starting jersey is closer than it appears.

The name generating the most buzz is Gianluca Lapadula. The "Bambino" arrives in a sweet spot: since joining Universitario de Deportes for the Torneo Clausura, he hasn't left the starting eleven and has all but claimed the role for himself. That consistency shows, and it was also evident in Peru's recent friendlies, where he logged minutes and once again displayed the fighting spirit that defines him every time he steps into the box.

Adrian Ugarriza's situation is different. He also has Menezes' trust, but he's going through a more uneven stretch. The forward now plays for BeerSheva, an experience that's only just starting to take shape in Europe. The issue is playing time: he isn't featuring regularly, and that could work against him when it comes to fighting for a starting spot. Nobody questions his quality, but match rhythm matters, and it matters a lot when you're trying to win over a coach.

Alternative options: Iberico and the false nine

Also among those called up is Luis Iberico, who brings a different profile: he can play as a winger or straight up as a center forward. At Sporting Cristal he doesn't usually play that position, but it isn't unfamiliar territory for him. His time at Riga in Latvia, along with his stints at Melgar and San Martin, gave him the experience he needs to operate in the box whenever the national team needs him there.

Then there's the least expected variant: the possibility of seeing a false nine. That's where Jhonny Vidales comes in, a regular in Menezes' squads and, by all appearances, firmly in his good graces. It wouldn't be the first time he's taken on that role: he already did it at Melgar and also at ADT during the 2025 season, a club where he ended up as nothing less than its top scorer in Liga 1.

With these four names on the table, Menezes has room to decide, but he also has to get it right. Between a box striker like Lapadula, a talent on pause like Ugarriza, a versatile option like Iberico and the false-nine card with Vidales, the question remains open: who will the coach choose for the starting eleven?