Argentina have already locked up first place in their group before the final matchday of the 2026 World Cup. Their 2-0 win over Austria on Monday, combined with Algeria’s 2-1 victory over Jordan on Tuesday morning, confirmed top spot for Lionel Scaloni’s team. Argentina now face Jordan, who have zero points, while Algeria and Austria meet in the other group game. Even if Jordan somehow beat Argentina and the other match ends level on six points, Argentina would still finish first because head-to-head results would decide the standings and Argentina have beaten both teams.
That scenario leaves Scaloni with a difficult decision over Lionel Messi. Messi scored his 17th and 18th World Cup goals against Austria, moving ahead of Miroslav Klose and becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. This is also Messi’s final World Cup, so whatever tally he finishes with will be his career total in the competition.
The immediate challenge is Kylian Mbappé, Messi’s former Paris Saint-Germain teammate, who is on 16 goals, level with Klose before Messi overtook him. The article notes that even if Messi ends this tournament ahead of Mbappé, the French striker could still surpass him in four or eight years, and possibly even during this World Cup.
Because the match against Jordan is only for formality and will not affect Argentina’s standing, the question is whether Messi should play to extend his record or rest for the knockout rounds. With the expanded 48-team format, Argentina could play five more knockout matches if they reach the final, or six total including Jordan, all within three weeks. For a 39-year-old player, that workload is significant, and the staff must also consider the slight but real injury risk against a weaker opponent.
