Argentina have already booked their place in the round of 32 as Group J winners, but Lionel Messi will start from the bench when they face Jordan on 28 June at 8:00am Bangladesh time in their final group fixture.
Coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed the decision at his pre-match press conference, citing the need to manage the 39-year-old’s minor left hamstring concern ahead of the knockout stage.
“Leo will be a substitute tomorrow, to play later,” Scaloni said. “The decision of who starts tomorrow is not in relation to the opponent we’ll face in the next round.”
It is a precaution that makes every sense. Messi has already scored five goals in two matches, a hat-trick against Algeria followed by a brace against Austria, breaking the all-time record for most goals in men’s World Cup history with 18. He leads the Golden Boot race and is the heartbeat of a squad that looks capable of defending the title they won in Qatar four years ago.
Argentina’s reward for topping Group J is a round-of-32 clash against Cape Verde on 3 July in Miami, one of the most extraordinary stories of the tournament. The island nation, with a population of just 525,000, became the smallest nation in history to reach the World Cup knockout stage after finishing second in Group H, drawing all three of their matches including goalless results against Spain and Saudi Arabia.
It is a remarkable achievement, but it is likely to represent the limit of Cape Verde’s journey. Argentina should advance without difficulty. The more compelling question is what lies beyond.
Should Argentina beat Cape Verde, Scaloni’s side would face the winners of the Australia versus Belgium round-of-32 tie in the last 16 on 7 July at 10:00pm Bangladesh time. Both represent manageable opponents for the world champions, and Argentina would enter that match as firm favourites regardless of who comes through.
It is the quarter-final, however, that captures the imagination. Portugal are on course to progress from Group K, and if both nations win their respective knockout matches, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could meet in the last eight on 12 July at 7:00am Bangladesh time. It would be the first time in their long and storied rivalry that the two greatest players of their generation have faced each other at a World Cup. Messi is 39, Ronaldo 41. Neither can assume another opportunity will present itself.
They last shared a pitch in a club friendly, when Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain beat a combined Al Hilal and Al Nassr side 5-4, with both men on the scoresheet. A meeting in the World Cup quarter-finals would dwarf anything that has come before.
If Argentina negotiate the quarter-final, a semi-final on 16 July at 1:00am Bangladesh time could bring either Brazil or England, both of whom sit on the same side of the bracket. It would represent another significant test, though Argentina’s squad depth and Messi’s current form make them a formidable proposition against anyone at this stage.
The final, scheduled for 20 July at 1:00am Bangladesh time, could pit Argentina against any of the major nations occupying the other half of the draw, including Germany, France, the Netherlands or Spain, provided those sides progress as expected.
Argentina’s draw has opened up in the best possible way. Cape Verde in the round of 32, a potentially favourable last-16 fixture, and then the prospect of Messi versus Ronaldo on the grandest stage in football. Scaloni has built a compact, disciplined collective around his captain, and the results so far, maximum points from the group stage and a record-breaking Golden Boot leader, suggest the chemistry is right.
