Jordan has already been eliminated from the tournament, while Argentina has surely made it to the knockout stage.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni hinted that Messi, who turned 39 three days earlier, could come off the bench during the game at AT&T Stadium.
Fresh faces get their chance
Nicolás Paz was included in the starting line-up after making his World Cup debut as a late substitute for Messi in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria in the first leg.
In total, Scaloni made nine changes from the team that beat Austria 2-0 in the previous match.
Messi continues to make World Cup history
Messi has now played 201 international games for Argentina, including a FIFA record 28 World Cup appearances.
He scored in six consecutive World Cup games, becoming only the third player to achieve the feat after France’s Just Fontaine and Brazilian legend Jairzinho.
Entering the final round of group stage matches, Messi led the tournament’s scoring charts with five goals, Argentina’s all-time tally.
He scored his first World Cup hat-trick against Algeria before adding his fifth goal in stoppage time against Austria.
A record number of goals
Messi’s two goals against Austria took his World Cup tally to 18, breaking the previous record of 16 he shared with Germany great Miroslav Klose.
This is Messi’s sixth appearance at the World Cup. Klose made 214 international appearances at four World Cups between 2002 and 2014, scoring his last World Cup goal in Germany’s 1-0 win over Argentina in the 2014 final.
France star Kylian Mbappé equaled Klose’s tally of 16 World Cup goals by scoring twice in a 3-0 win over Iraq just hours after Messi broke the record.
Mbappé, who is one of several players with four goals at this tournament, did not score in France’s 4-1 win over Norway in the final group stage game.
Argentina ready for the challenge of Cape Verde
As winners of Group J, Argentina will now face Cape Verde in the Round of 16 on Friday in Miami.
It will be Cape Verde’s first appearance in a FIFA World Cup knockout match, and the match will also be played in the home city of Messi’s MLS club.
