According to media outlet Pazzidifanta, Scaloni confirmed that Messi will be on the bench for Argentina's final group stage match against Jordan.

Messi is set to watch Argentina's final group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup from the substitutes' bench. After scoring a hat-trick in Argentina's opening match against Algeria and a brace in the second match against Austria, the Argentine superstar will not start in the third and final round of Group J. Scaloni announced in the pre-match press conference: "Leo will be on the bench. I will not announce the final starting lineup, but he will come on as a substitute during the match."

Argentina has already secured first place in the group and advanced to the round of 32 knockout stage, where they will face tournament dark horse Cape Verde, who finished second in Group H behind Spain. On the night of June 27-28 local time, Argentina will play already-eliminated Jordan at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Scaloni is likely to use the final group stage match to rest key players, while giving quality substitutes who have had limited or no playing time an opportunity. Scaloni stated: "All our achievements so far are thanks to the players who have always been there and trained with full commitment. I believe that when the opportunity arises, many excellent players deserve to play. The goal is for the team to play in the same way."

Messi has scored all five of Argentina's goals in this FIFA World Cup, and with his brace against Austria, he surpassed Miroslav Klose with 18 goals to become the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history. Therefore, Messi will start the match against Jordan from the bench. This arrangement will also allow Messi to rest before the round of 32 knockout match against Cape Verde on July 4.

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