Scaloni rests Messi for Argentina's final group game against Jordan at World Cup 2026

Lionel Messi will start on the bench when Argentina face Jordan at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas in their final World Cup group game, manager Lionel Scaloni has confirmed. Having already secured top spot in the group, Scaloni is taking the long-term view with his captain, who has scored all five of Argentina’s goals across their opening two fixtures.

“Leo is going to start on the bench and will come on a little later,” Scaloni told reporters. “I will tell you because you deserve a sincere answer.” Messi is expected to play some part in the second half, meaning the rest will be brief rather than absolute.

Despite the decision to manage Messi’s minutes, left-back Nicolás Tagliafico has offered a striking assessment of his captain’s current form. The 33-year-old Lyon defender, appearing at his third World Cup, believes Messi is performing at least as well as he did when he led Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022.

“From what I have seen of Leo so far, he is at the same level as he was in 2022 or even better, and we are enjoying this,” Tagliafico said. “I’m sure he is enjoying it too.”

Messi turned 39 on Wednesday, and the Argentina squad marked the occasion with a party at the team hotel. Each player wore a T-shirt bearing a personal photograph of themselves alongside their captain — an idea conceived by midfielder Rodrigo De Paul.

“He took it well,” Tagliafico said. “It was something quite beautiful. We had a blast. Leo has had many birthdays during tournaments and we spend a lot of time with each other away from our families, but this felt like we were among family.”

Scaloni’s candid confirmation of Messi’s bench role came in a moment that drew attention in its own right. When veteran journalist Enrique Macaya Márquez — reporting on his 18th World Cup at the age of 91 — asked about Messi’s involvement, Scaloni chose transparency over the usual managerial deflection.

“To answer the question of someone who has been at 18 World Cups is truly an honour,” Scaloni said. “I remember watching you on the television when I was playing.” The Argentina manager embraced Márquez after the press conference concluded.