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27 June 2026

Argentina, captained by Lionel Messi, will complete their Group J fixtures against debutants Jordan at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Saturday night — but this time, the skipper begins on the bench. While the result holds no bearing for the defending champions, the encounter presents Jamal Sellami’s side an opportunity to make a lasting impression in their maiden World Cup campaign.

Argentina have already secured the top spot in Group J with maximum points and a healthy goal difference of plus five, courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Algeria and a 2-0 win against Austria. There is no further jeopardy in the standings for them.

In contrast, Jordan arrive with no points on the board and are already eliminated, following a 3-1 defeat to Austria and a 2-1 loss to Algeria. Despite their results, the Jordanians have managed to score in both matches and will be eager to register their first-ever World Cup point — or even a famous upset. This match marks the first-ever meeting between the two nations at any level.

Manager Lionel Scaloni has confirmed his decision: Messi will start from the bench. The Argentine talisman has scored all five of his team’s goals at this World Cup — a hat-trick against Algeria followed by a brace versus Austria. With those strikes, he surpassed Miroslav Klose to become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 18 goals, while France’s Kylian Mbappé trails by just two.

Messi turned 39 on Wednesday and continues to manage his workload after recovering from a muscle issue. With the knockout rounds approaching, Scaloni has opted for rotation and fresh legs over extending his captain’s scoring run.

The press conference offered a heartwarming moment when Scaloni revealed Messi’s benching only after being asked by Enrique Macaya Márquez — the 91-year-old journalist covering his 18th World Cup. Scaloni joked that he would have avoided answering anyone else, before embracing the veteran reporter warmly at the end.

Jordan, under Sellami, have shown flashes of promise despite their early exit. Ali Olwan found the net against Austria, while Nizar Al-Rashdan gave them a second-half lead versus Algeria before they were pegged back. Their main concern has been defensive frailty, particularly from set-pieces — three of the five goals conceded have come from corners. Rennes winger Musa Al-Taamari remains their standout threat on the counterattack.

On rotation, Scaloni commented: “The idea is to give the opportunity to most of the players to play. I think they deserve it and, as long as the match situation allows it, we will do it.”

Speaking about Jordan’s tactical setup, he added: “Jordan tends to play with five defenders… you have to move differently if you play with a back four. We have worked on it and the team wouldn’t have any issues with modifying something.”

When asked about pairing Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez, Scaloni said: “If the others are running, Lautaro and Julian can play together. It’s about the team’s balance… we want balance.”

On Cristian Romero’s fitness, he clarified: “Cuti is fine. He didn’t train with the group today, but he trained separately… The injury is not as serious as we thought.”

Note: Messi has been confirmed on the bench. With Argentina expected to rotate heavily, their starting XI remains a best estimate.

Argentina (4-3-3): Emiliano Martínez; Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolás Otamendi (c), Marcos Senesi, Nicolás Tagliafico; Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Leandro Paredes; Nicolás Paz, Lautaro Martínez, Julián Álvarez.

Jordan (3-4-2-1): Yazeed Abulaila; Yazan Al-Arab, Elias Haddad, Abdallah Nasib; Mahmoud Abu Taha, Rajaei Ayed (c), Noor Al-Rawabdeh, Nizar Al-Rashdan; Ali Olwan, Mahmoud Al Mardi; Musa Al-Taamari.

According to Opta’s supercomputer, Argentina have a 78.1% chance of victory, with a 13.2% probability of a draw and an 8.7% chance of a Jordan win. Argentina also enter the fixture boasting eight consecutive clean sheets.