Messi Faces a Rest-or-Record Decision Against Jordan

Argentina have already clinched first place in their World Cup group, and their final group match against Jordan on Tuesday is only for the record. The decisive result came after Argentina beat Austria 2-0 and Algeria defeated Jordan 2-1, leaving Argentina tied on points only in theory, but ahead on head-to-head results. That places Lionel Scaloni among the teams that secured top spot before the last round, alongside Mexico, the United States and Germany.

The bigger issue is what to do with Lionel Messi. The Argentina captain scored his 17th and 18th World Cup goals against Austria, moving past Miroslav Klose to become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer outright. This is Messi’s final World Cup, so whatever total he finishes with will be the final mark of his career in the competition.

Kylian Mbappe, Messi’s former Paris Saint-Germain teammate, is chasing him with 16 goals, level with Klose. Even if Messi ends this World Cup ahead of Mbappe, the Frenchman is widely expected to overtake him in four or eight years, and it is possible that could even happen in this tournament.

Because the match against Jordan will not affect Argentina’s standing, Scaloni must decide whether to play Messi so he can extend his record against a weak opponent, or rest him for the knockout stage. With the expanded 48-team World Cup, Argentina could play five knockout matches, or six including Jordan, all within three weeks. At 39, Messi faces a significant workload, and the coaching staff must also weigh the small but real injury risk.