Scaloni Benches Messi for Jordan Fixture as Argentina Manage World Cup Minutes

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has been named among the substitutes for his country's closing World Cup group-stage encounter with Jordan and will not take the field from the opening whistle.

The 39-year-old remains the tournament's leading marksman with five goals across two appearances. His double against Austria also carried him past every prior player to stand alone as the World Cup's all-time top scorer.

Head coach Lionel Scaloni insisted the selection was not linked to any injury concern. With the defending champions already secured for the knockout phase, he said the choice reflects a deliberate effort to control Messi's playing time.

Scaloni still expects his skipper to see action before the final whistle, and Messi is tipped to enter the contest during the second half as Argentina push to claim top spot in the group.