ARLINGTON, Texas: Argentina captain Lionel Messi will not be in the starting lineup for his team’s final FIFA World Cup Group J match against Jordan on Saturday. Head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that the 39-year-old superstar will begin the game on the bench but is expected to make a substitute appearance later in the match.
With Argentina already securing top spot in Group J and a place in the knockout stage, Scaloni is taking the opportunity to rotate his squad and manage the workload of key players ahead of the more demanding rounds of the tournament.
Messi has enjoyed an outstanding World Cup campaign so far, scoring five goals in Argentina’s first two matches. His performances helped him become the highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 18 career goals, surpassing Germany legend Miroslav Klose’s previous record of 16. France forward Kylian Mbappé also reached 16 goals earlier in the tournament but failed to add to his tally in France’s final group-stage fixture.
The Argentine icon has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, joining Just Fontaine and Jairzinho as the only players to achieve that remarkable feat.
Scaloni also hinted that several regular starters could be rested against Jordan, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez among the few experienced players likely to retain his place. Young midfielder Nicolás Paz is expected to replace Messi in the starting lineup after making his World Cup debut as a substitute in Argentina’s opening match.
Despite the expected squad rotation, Scaloni emphasized that Argentina will maintain its attacking style and ball-dominant approach against Jordan, who have already been eliminated after losing their first two group matches.
Argentina will begin their knockout-stage campaign next week as they continue their quest to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup title.