Messi on the bench, Scaloni expects a high level from Argentina against Jordan
Coach Lionel Scaloni is prepared to rest Lionel Messi for the match against Jordan, but is confident that Argentina will maintain their level of play as they prepare for the knockout stage of the World Cup.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is optimistic about his team's performance, even with Lionel Messi starting on the bench in the match against Jordan. Messi, who has already found the net five times in this World Cup, is a key player, but Scaloni has decided it is time to rest the star who turned 39 this week. "Leo will be a substitute tomorrow, to come on later," said Scaloni before the duel, which takes place at Dallas Stadium.
Argentina, current world champions, have already secured their place in the next phase, after two victories that placed them as leaders of Group J. The team will face newcomers Cape Verde in the round of 32 stage. Scaloni emphasized that the decision to leave Messi on the bench is not related to the opponent in the next round.
In addition to being the team's top scorer, Messi leads the team in several statistics, including passes for goals, dribbles completed and advances with the ball. He became the greatest scorer in World Cup history, with 18 goals, surpassing Miroslav Klose and Kylian Mbappé.
Scaloni hopes that the players who take the field will be able to maintain the same standard of play. "The hope is that the team plays in the same way. That's what we're going to try to do," he said.
Argentina are unbeaten in their last eight World Cup games (with 6 wins and 2 draws), setting a new record under Scaloni. Jordan, ranked 68th, is looking to become the lowest-ranked team to beat the defending champions at a World Cup, surpassing South Korea's feat in 2018 when they beat Germany 2-0.
---
Related Articles
1. [Mondiali 2026: Argentina and Francia in pole position per the phase a eliminazione](https://azzurrigoal.com/it/news/mondiali-2026-argentina-e-francia-in-pole-position-per-la-fase-a-eliminazione) 2. [A Bandwagon Fan’s World Cup Guide: Which Teams to Back](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/a-bandwagon-fans-world-cup-guide-which-teams-to-back)