Lionel Messi will not start Argentina's final group-stage match against Jordan at the FIFA World Cup 2026, manager Lionel Scaloni has confirmed — though the 39-year-old is expected to enter the fray in the second half.

Scaloni, speaking ahead of the Dallas fixture scheduled to kick off at 03:00 BST on Sunday, stressed that the decision is precautionary rather than injury-related. "Leo will most likely come on in the second half," the Argentina manager said. "We talked and agreed that it was better that way, but obviously it's also good for him to stay in competitive form."

A record-breaking golden boot leader

Messi leads the Golden Boot standings with five goals from his opening two matches. That tally includes a brace against Austria that elevated him to the status of the World Cup's all-time record goalscorer — a historic milestone for the Argentina captain.

Scaloni was careful to draw a distinction between squad rotation and long-term planning. "The decision of who plays tomorrow is not related to who plays in the next match," he said. "Jordan are a good opponent, and our intention will be to have the ball and dominate through possession. Their forwards are fast and we will have to take that into account."

Dembele bursts into Golden Boot race

Elsewhere in the standings, Kylian Mbappe failed to add to his four-goal tally as France cruised to a 4-1 victory over Norway. Erling Haaland, also sitting on four goals, was kept on the bench for Norway throughout the match.

The headline performer in that game was Ousmane Dembele, whose first-half hat-trick launched him into the thick of the Golden Boot conversation, moving him level with both Mbappe and Haaland on four goals for the tournament.