Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni has announced that Lionel Messi will begin Tuesday’s match against Jordan on the bench. This decision is a strategic move to manage Messi’s workload and physical condition ahead of the upcoming round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup. Scaloni aims to conserve energy for the team captain as they progress further into the tournament. While Messi won’t start, he is expected to feature in the game at some point. This is part of a broader strategy to ensure key players are fresh for the more critical stages of the competition. The match against Jordan serves as preparation for the knockout rounds, allowing Scaloni to experiment with the lineup and assess player fitness. This rotation prioritizes long-term performance over immediate results in this particular fixture.