Pakistan, June 27 -- Argentina captain Lionel Messi will begin Saturday's final World Cup group match against Jordan on the bench. Coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed Messi will feature later as Argentina has already secured first place in Group J. The decision allows the defending champions to manage key players before the knockout stage.

Scaloni said Messi would enter the match as a substitute after the starting lineup had already been decided. Argentina booked top spot with victories over Austria and Algeria in its opening two matches. Meanwhile, Jordan has already been eliminated from the tournament, making the final group fixture a dead rubber.

Messi, who turned 39 on Wednesday, has scored all of Argentina's goals at the tournament so f...