Messi to start on bench against Jordan: Scaloni

Argentina captain Lionel Messi will start on the bench against Jordan in Saturday's final Group J match, although head coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed the World Cup's all-time leading scorer is expected to feature later in the game.

Speaking on Friday, two days after Messi celebrated his 39th birthday, Scaloni said the forward would be introduced during the match but declined to say when. He also kept his starting line-up undisclosed for the meeting with World Cup debutants Jordan, who have already lost their opening two group matches.

Messi has enjoyed an outstanding tournament, scoring all five of Argentina's goals in their first two matches. His tally of 18 goals across six World Cup tournaments makes him the competition's all-time leading scorer.

The forward equalled former Germany striker Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals with his first World Cup hat-trick in a 3-0 victory over Algeria. He then moved clear of Klose by scoring twice in Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria on Monday at the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, which will also host Saturday's match.

Klose reached his 16-goal total in 24 World Cup appearances before ending his international career by helping Germany beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2014 World Cup final. France captain Kylian Mbappe also matched Klose's record earlier in this tournament with two goals against Iraq but remained on 16 after failing to score in Friday's 4-1 victory over Norway.

Widely regarded as one of football's greatest players, Messi has made 201 appearances for Argentina, including a record 28 at the World Cup. He has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, joining Just Fontaine of France and Brazil's Jairzinho as the only players to achieve that feat.

Before the tournament, Messi was managing a minor hamstring problem sustained while playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. Although he has shown no signs of discomfort at the World Cup, Argentina appear keen to manage his workload before the knockout stage.

If the reigning champions reach another World Cup final, they would play five knockout matches in 17 days, beginning next Friday in South Florida and ending with the final on 19 July.

With Argentina already guaranteed top spot in Group J, Scaloni is expected to rotate much of his team. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez could be the only regular starter to keep his place, while midfielder Nicolas Paz is expected to replace Messi in the starting line-up after making his World Cup debut as a substitute against Algeria.

“Our goal is for the team to maintain the same style of play,” Scaloni said. “Jordan is a quality opponent, and we’re approaching the game with full respect. We want to improve on certain aspects from the last match while continuing to dominate possession and control the game.”