Messi is out of the starting lineup but could play in Argentina's group finale against Jordan

Lionel Messi is out of the starting lineup as expected for Argentina’s group stage finale with first place secured going into a matchup against Jordan, which is already eliminated from the knockout round. Coach Lionel Scaloni has suggested Messi, the all-time leading men’s World Cup scorer, could come off the bench at AT&T Stadium on Saturday night, three days after his 39th birthday. Nicolás Paz, who made his World Cup debut subbing in for Messi late in the 3-0 win over Algeria in the opener, is among nine different starters from the previous game, a 2-0 victory over Austria.

By Jason Griffith for PeeDeeWire

Yahoo Sports reports: Lionel Messi is out of the starting lineup as expected for Argentina’s group stage finale with first place secured going into a matchup against Jordan, which is already eliminated from the knockout round. Coach Lionel Scaloni has suggested Messi, the all-time leading men’s World Cup scorer, could come off the bench at AT&T Stadium on Saturday night, three days after his 39th birthday. Nicolás Paz, who made his World Cup debut subbing in for Messi late in the 3-0 win over Algeria in the opener, is among nine different starters from the previous game, a 2-0 victory over Austria.