Pre-match information
The Argentine national team will close the group stage of the 2026 World Cup with a confrontation with Jordan in Dallas. After early winning a ticket to the next round as the top of the group, coach Lionel Scaloni is likely to rotate the squad and give Lionel Messi rest.
The 2-0 victory over Austria, along with Algeria defeating Jordan 2-1, helped Argentina definitely top Group J. The defending champion also extended their 2-match clean sheet streak, after defeating Algeria 3-0 in the opening match. Argentina's last start to a World Cup with three wins and no goals conceded was in 1998.
El Pulga is in brilliant form at the 2026 World Cup when scoring all 5 goals of Argentina. The 39-year-old superstar has surpassed Miroslav Klose to become the greatest scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals, and is only one match away from the goal milestone in 7 consecutive World Cup matches.
The captain of the Argentine team admitted to feeling tired after the victory over Austria, so the possibility of him being rested in the last match is very high. Scaloni also confirmed the squad rotation plan.
If Messi does not start, Nico Paz is considered a potential replacement after recovering from a knee injury. In attack, Julian Alvarez is likely to compete for a starting spot with Lautaro Martinez.
On the other side, Jordan has run out of chances to advance after a 1-2 defeat to Algeria in the previous match. However, coach Jamal Sellami affirmed that his team will strive to make a mark in their first World Cup appearance.
Jordan entered the tournament with 68th place in the FIFA rankings. If they defeat Argentina, they will become the team with the lowest ranking ever to beat a reigning World Cup champion, surpassing the milestone of South Korea (57th place) when defeating Germany at the 2018 World Cup.
The West Asian team did not suffer any losses in force and will have full personnel for the match. Meanwhile, the players given the opportunity on the Argentina side will also try to prove their ability to compete for a starting spot in the knockout round.
