Argentina's Lionel Messi was left on the bench for their World Cup… (матч · месси · чемпионат)
Argentina's Lionel Messi was left on the bench for their World Cup group stage match against Jordan, marking the first time since 2006 that he did not start the game. The match was part of a group stage where Argentina had already secured a playoff spot with six points from two games.
Consensus
- Lionel Messi was not included in the starting lineup for Argentina's World Cup match against Jordan
- This is the first time since 2006 that Messi has been left on the bench for a World Cup match
- Argentina had already secured a playoff spot with six points from two group stage games
- The match started at 5:00 MSK and Argentina was leading 2-0 at the time of reporting
Points of divergence
- Messi played in two World Cup matches in 2026, scoring 5 goals including a hat-trick against Algeria and two goals against Austria — vesti
- Messi has been substituted in only two World Cup matches since 2010 out of 25 total appearances — kommersant
- Messi is 39 years old — vesti
- Messi is the top scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals — kommersant
Coverage (3 sources)
- Messi remains on the bench for World Cup match for the first time since 2006 — Вести
- Messi left on the bench for the World Cup match for the first time since 2006 — Коммерсантъ
- Messi to start 2026 World Cup match against Jordan from the bench — Вести