Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that tournament top scorer Lionel Messi will start on the bench for the team’s concluding group match against Jordan.
The 39-year-old currently leads the Golden Boot race with five goals in two appearances, a tally that includes two goals against Austria which secured his place as the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Speaking ahead of the Dallas fixture, which kicks off at 03:00 BST on Sunday, Scaloni clarified that the decision to rest the captain was not due to any injury concerns.
“Leo will most likely be introduced in the second half,” Scaloni explained.
“We discussed the situation and agreed this was the best approach, though it remains important for him to maintain his competitive edge.”
The manager further emphasized that the lineup for this fixture is independent of selections for the subsequent knockout stages.
“Jordan is a quality opponent. Our objective is to control the game through possession, but we must remain mindful of their forwards, who possess significant pace,” he added.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Kylian Mbappe remained on four goals following France’s 4-1 victory over Norway, a match in which Erling Haaland also remained an unused substitute.
However, Ousmane Dembele surged into Golden Boot contention, netting a first-half hat-trick to bring his personal tally to four goals for the competition.
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