SOCCER: Lionel Messi to start for Argentina in friendly against Zambia

Lionel Messi will suit up and start in Tuesday’s home friendly against Zambia, Argentina national team manager Lionel Scaloni confirmed Monday.

“Yes, I think he'll start from the beginning tomorrow,” Scaloni told reporters.

Messi came on as a halftime substitute in Friday’s 2-1 home victory over Mauritania in another friendly match.

The upcoming matches against Mauritania and Zambia will help determine Argentina’s 26-player roster for the FIFA World Cup this summer, Scaloni said.

“The list of 26 players (for the World Cup), I think we're above the percentage,” he explained. “We have to start discarding options now based on performance. There is no other option.”

Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, faced a tougher-than-expected challenge against Mauritania, ranked No. 115 in FIFA standings and a nation that has never qualified for the World Cup.

“The game the other night could’ve been an alert,” Scaloni said. “It's things that, as a head coach, one starts looking at, and later, we will decide.”

Messi has yet to confirm whether he will participate in the World Cup, but Scaloni remains hopeful that the global superstar will play.

“The important thing is that he comes and enjoys it,” Scaloni said. “That he enjoys being at the World Cup, which in theory would be the last, but I wouldn't dare to say anything. We just hope he enjoys it. I think it’s not just Argentines who want to see him; everyone wants to see him. They want to see him train, see him play, and that is what we all wish for.”

Argentina will seek its fourth World Cup championship, opening the tournament on June 16 against Algeria in Group J in Kansas City. They will face Austria next on June 22, followed by Jordan on June 27.

—Field Level Media/Reuters