Messi starts on the bench against Jordan — and Scaloni has already said when he comes on
The tournament's top scorer with 5 goals, Messi gets a rest in the final group-stage match. Scaloni confirms: no injury, and he comes on in the second half.
Five goals in two games, the World Cup's outright top scorer, and the holder of the competition's all-time scoring record — and yet Lionel Messi will begin Argentina's final group-stage match on the bench. The confirmation came from head coach Lionel Scaloni himself ahead of the clash against Jordan in Dallas.
What might sound like an alarm has a simple explanation: squad management, not injury. "Leo will very likely come on in the second half," Scaloni assured. The two spoke and reached an agreement — a controlled rest, without sacrificing competitive sharpness.
The coach also made clear that today's line-up has no bearing on the knockout rounds. "The decision about who plays tomorrow has nothing to do with who plays in the next match," he said. He also stressed that Jordan deserve respect: their forwards are quick, and Argentina want to control the game through possession.
Meanwhile, the race for the Golden Boot is heating up. Kylian Mbappé remains on four goals after France's rout of Norway. Erling Haaland is also on four, but sat out that match. And Ousmane Dembélé forced his way into the conversation with a first-half hat-trick, bringing him level on four as well — according to BBC Sport.
Golmetria's model sees Argentina as the biggest favourites for the title: a 20% chance of lifting the trophy, more than double that of the second-ranked side. A place in the round of sixteen is already virtually guaranteed.
But what matters right now is straightforward: Messi comes on in the second half, and the scoreline could look very different after that. The top-scorer race is still wide open — and the No. 10 shows no sign of letting go of the lead.