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Argentina captain Lionel Messi will begin his side’s final FIFA World Cup Group J match against Jordan on the bench, coach Lionel Scaloni said on Friday.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s fixture, Scaloni confirmed that Messi would not start but is expected to feature later in the game.
“Leo will come on later, and I’ve already confirmed the team, but we’re going to announce it tomorrow,” Scaloni told reporters.
Argentina has already wrapped up top spot in Group J after victories over Austria and Algeria, while tournament debutants Jordan have already been eliminated, making the encounter a dead rubber.
The South American champions are expected to rotate several players before their Round of 32 tie against the runners-up from Group H, which includes Spain, Uruguay, Cabo Verde and Saudi Arabia.
Messi, who celebrated his 39th birthday on Wednesday, has scored all of Argentina’s goals at the tournament so far, becoming the leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history.
Left-back Nicolas Tagliafico praised the Inter Miami star, saying he believes Messi is performing at the same level, or even better than he did during Argentina’s successful 2022 World Cup campaign.
Tagliafico also revealed that the squad marked Messi’s birthday with specially designed T-shirts and a cake, describing the celebration as a memorable moment that reflected the strong bond within the team after spending weeks together during the tournament.
“He’s at the very exact same level as in 2022, or even better, I would say,” said Tagliafico.
“I think that this was something quite beautiful.
“At the end of the day these are just small details.
“You know (how it is) when you have to live together for such a long time, when you see everybody’s faces every single day.
“We had a ball, we just had a blast, ” he added.
