World Cup top scorer Lionel Messi will start Argentina’s final group match against Jordan on the bench, coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed.
Messi, 39, leads the Golden Boot standings with five goals in his first two matches, including a brace against Austria that makes him the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer.
Scaloni said the decision to rest the superstar was not related to injury as he said so ahead of the match in Dallas, which kicks off at 03:00 BST on Sunday.
“Leo (Messi) will probably come on in the second half,” he said.
“We talked and agreed it was best, but obviously it’s also good for him to stay competitive.”
He added: “The decision about who plays tomorrow has nothing to do with who plays the next match.
“Jordan is a good competitor and our goal is to have the ball and dominate possession. The opposition strikers are fast and we will have to take that into account.”
Kylian Mbappe failed to add to his four goals in France’s 4-1 win over Norway, a game in which Erling Haaland, who also scored four, was left on the bench.
But Ousmane Dembele entered the race for the Golden Boot, scoring a first-half hat-trick and scoring four goals in the tournament.