By STEPHEN HAWKINS
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Lionel Messi, the top scorer in World Cup history, will not start when defending tournament champion and Group J winner Argentina plays Jordan on Saturday night in its last match before the knockout stage.
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Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said Friday, two days after Messi’s 39th birthday, that Messi will begin the game on the bench, but also indicated that he “will come in a little bit later.”
Scaloni didn’t say when Messi might substitute into the match, or what his lineup would be against first-time World Cup participant Jordan.
Messi scored all five goals for Argentina in its first two games of this tournament. He had his first World Cup hat trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria to tie the career scoring record at 16 goals, and broke that mark by scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Austria on Monday at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys — where the group finale will be played.
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Messi had been dealing with a minor hamstring injury with Inter Miami of Major League Soccer that slowed him in the lead-up to the World Cup.
While there have been no indications of any issues since, Argentina has a lot of games left if it is going to get to another World Cup final. The knockout round for La Albiceleste begins next Friday in South Florida, and that would be the first of five matches in 17 days if they make it to the final on July 19.
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