World Cup top scorer Lionel Messi will start Argentina’s last group match against Jordan on the bench, manager Lionel Scaloni has confirmed.
Messi, 39, leads the Golden Boot race with five goals in his first two games, including a brace against Austria that made him the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Scaloni stated that the decision to rest the superstar was not due to an injury, as he talked before the match in Dallas, which begins at 03:00 BST on Sunday.
“Leo [Messi] will most likely come on in the second half,” he said.
“We talked and agreed that it was better that way, but obviously it’s also good for him to stay in competitive form.”
He added: “The decision of who plays tomorrow is not related to who plays in the next match.
“Jordan is a good opponent, and our intention will be to have the ball and dominate through possession. The opponent’s forwards are fast, and we will have to take that into account.”
In France’s 4-1 victory over Norway, Kylian Mbappe was unable to add to his four goals, while Erling Haaland remained on the bench.
However, Ousmane Dembele scored a hat-trick in the first half, putting him in contention for the Golden Boot.
