Latorre just made Jordan about Argentina's Plan B

The uncomfortable part of Diego Latorre's latest Argentina criticism is the timing. It did not arrive after dropped points. It arrived after two wins, a clean-sheet victory over Austria, and qualification already in the bag. Latorre's point was blunt: "taking Messi out," he said on Infobae Mundial, he had not seen Argentina look that good in their first two World Cup matches, and too much of the attack still runs through Messi finding the ball and inventing something. 1

That turns the Jordan match into something sharper than another rotation preview. Scaloni does not only need fresh legs. He needs evidence that Argentina can still recover the ball, connect midfield to attack, and create clean chances if Messi's minutes are managed.

Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria looked comfortable on the scoreboard, and Messi again carried the decisive edge. Goal reported Scaloni's post-match praise for Messi's work without the ball, including the coach's line: "When Leo gets going, everyone gets going," after Messi helped win the ball before the opening goal. 2

That compliment also explains the concern. If the captain's pressing trigger, final pass, and finishing are all carrying the same game, the team can win while still leaving Scaloni with unfinished work. Latorre compared this version with Qatar 2022 and argued that the midfield has not yet reached the same level of ball recovery, complementarity, or variety. 1

The latest training picture points toward a managed week. Infobae reported that the starters did regenerative work after Austria, Messi was not seen on the field during the 15 minutes open to media, and Cristian Romero worked with physios on the right-knee discomfort that forced him off against Austria. 3

Scaloni then gave the squad the afternoon off with family time before a Wednesday return to camp, with Messi's 39th birthday to be celebrated inside the group. 4 That is normal tournament management from a team already through. It is also a chance to find out whether Argentina's second unit can solve the exact problem Latorre named.

It will be easy to frame the next few days around Messi turning 39, family time in camp, and Argentina enjoying the cushion of early qualification. Those details matter because they show a calm squad. They should not hide the football question.

If Messi rests and Argentina still generate chances through Alvarez, Lautaro, Paredes, Palacios, or the wide rotations, Jordan becomes useful preparation for the Round of 32. If the ball again needs Messi to rescue every attack, Latorre's warning travels with the team into July 3, when Infobae says Argentina expect to face the runner-up from Group H. 3

The next match does not need Messi to produce another record. It needs Argentina to prove that the rest of the structure can breathe without asking him to fix everything.