Messi Set for Bench Role as Argentina Faces Jordan

Argentina, already assured of first place and a spot in the knockout stage, will rotate its lineup in its final group match against Jordan, coach Lionel Scaloni said overnight between Friday and Saturday. The game is scheduled for Sunday morning at 5:00 a.m. Israel time in Texas. One of the main changes will be Lionel Messi starting on the bench.

Argentine media had reported before the decision that Messi wanted to play against Jordan, even if only for a few minutes, but the coaching staff does not want to take risks ahead of the knockout rounds. Scaloni said Messi is expected to come on in the second half. “This is a good opportunity to see players who have not gotten many minutes so far,” he said, adding that the staff will assess their fitness and decide whether they can be used later.

Scaloni also said he does not underestimate Jordan. “Jordan is a good team, they lost to Algeria only near the end. We do not underestimate anyone,” he said. Argentina, he added, wants to control the match through possession, and its three forwards are very fast. He also left open the possibility of changing the formation, noting that Jordan plays with five defenders and that Argentina is ready to adapt if needed.

Messi has started the 2026 World Cup in outstanding form, scoring a hat trick against Algeria and two goals against Austria. Those five goals moved him to first place on the tournament’s all-time scoring list with 18, ahead of Miroslav Klose and Kylian Mbappé, who each have 16 and can still try to catch him in the current tournament.