06/26/26 06:31:00
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06/26 18:30 CDT Lionel Messi won't start Argentina's group finale, but World
Cup scoring record holder could sub in
Lionel Messi won't start Argentina's group finale, but World Cup scoring record
holder could sub in
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer
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.
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.
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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