Argentina head into their final Group J fixture against Jordan with qualification already secured and top spot guaranteed, giving head coach Lionel Scaloni the luxury of rotating his squad ahead of the knockout stages.
The reigning world champions have enjoyed a flawless start to their title defence, following a 3-0 victory over Algeria with a comfortable 2-0 win against Austria. The back-to-back victories, coupled with Algeria’s 2-1 triumph over Jordan, ensured Argentina cannot be caught at the top of the group regardless of the outcome in Dallas.
Much of Argentina’s success has been inspired by Lionel Messi, who has scored all five of his country’s goals so far at the tournament. The 39-year-old has once again underlined his importance, becoming the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer with 18 goals, moving ahead of Miroslav Klose. He also leads Argentina in chances created, through balls, progressive carries and line-breaking passes in the final third.
Despite his remarkable form, Messi could be handed a well-earned rest. The Argentina captain admitted he was feeling the effects of a demanding schedule after the victory over Austria, while Scaloni has already hinted that squad rotation is likely.
“The idea is to give most players a chance to play,” Scaloni said ahead of the match. “I think they deserve it and, whenever the match allows it, we will do so.”
Should Messi start, he would have the opportunity to set yet another World Cup record by becoming the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup appearances. However, with the knockout rounds looming, Scaloni may instead turn to younger options such as Nico Paz or hand Julián Álvarez a start in attack. Defender Cristian Romero is also expected to miss the match after aggravating a knee injury against Austria.
For Jordan, the contest represents a chance to bow out of their maiden World Cup campaign on a positive note. Defeat to Algeria in their second group game ended any hopes of reaching the Round of 32, but head coach Jamal Sellami believes facing the defending champions offers his players the perfect opportunity to showcase their quality.
“Facing Argentina is an opportunity for us to perform well and leave a great mark worthy of Jordanian football,” Sellami said.
Jordan have shown flashes of attacking promise despite losing both group matches, scoring in each outing against Algeria and Austria. With no injury concerns or suspensions, Sellami has a full squad available as his side seeks what would be one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
The two nations have never met before, and history offers Jordan little encouragement. Their only victory over South American opposition came in a friendly against Ecuador in 2004, while they have lost four of their last five matches against CONMEBOL teams.
The Opta supercomputer also heavily favours Argentina. Based on 25,000 pre-match simulations, the world champions were victorious in 77.9 per cent of outcomes. A draw occurred in 13.3 per cent of simulations, while Jordan were given just an 8.8 per cent chance of securing a famous victory.
Even with changes expected to the starting lineup, Argentina possess enough quality throughout the squad to enter the match as overwhelming favourites. For Jordan, avoiding defeat against the defending champions would represent a memorable end to their historic first World Cup appearance.
Should we send you latest update about your favourite sports and team?
Enter you email in the box below and hit the subscribe button to join our teaming 876+ sports community.
