Messi can remain in reserve for the match against Jordan

Argentina captain Lionel Messi is most likely to start the 2026 World Cup third round group stage match against Jordan on the bench. This is reported by sports media. The match of group J will take place on June 28 at 05:00 Kyiv time. Argentina approaches the game in the status of the leader of the quartet, having won two victories at the start of the tournament - over Algeria (3:0) and Austria (2:0). In these meetings, Messi scored five goals. A successful start allows head coach Lionel Scaloni to rotate the squad. It is expected that football players who previously had less playing practice will get a chance to prove themselves. According to the source, during training, Scaloni tested different options for the starting line-up. In particular, the combination of Lautaro Martinez and Julián Alvarez in the attack was considered, which is an atypical decision for the Argentine coach. The coach also experimented with the construction of the midfield, changing the role of Ezequiel Palacios. It is possible that Lautaro Martinez and Julián Alvarez will be in the starting line-up for the match against Jordan.