Lionel Messi is set to start for Argentina national team in Tuesday’s friendly against Zambia, which will be the reigning world champions’ final home match before they begin the defence of their World Cup title.

Head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that Messi, who was named on the bench during Friday’s underwhelming 2-1 victory over Mauritania, will lead what is expected to be a full-strength lineup.

“Messi will be in the starting XI tomorrow,” Scaloni stated.

At 38, Messi has yet to officially confirm whether he will feature in the upcoming World Cup, although he played a key role throughout Argentina’s qualification campaign.

Scaloni suggested he anticipates Messi being included in the squad, which would mark the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s sixth appearance at the tournament.

“The main thing is that he comes and enjoys the World Cup — which, in theory, could be his last,” Scaloni said.

“We want him to truly enjoy the experience, because once it’s over, you miss competing in tournaments like this.”

Lionel Scaloni said that Lionel Messi will be supported by the team’s established core on Tuesday — the same group that topped South American qualifying and will head into the World Cup among the favourites.

“Most of the players we know well will be involved. This is the final test,” Scaloni explained.

He added that changes will be made later to evaluate some younger players, but the intention is to field a familiar and settled lineup. He also stressed that Friday’s narrow and unconvincing win over Mauritania did not reflect the true level of the squad.

“I’m confident the team’s performance is not what we saw the other day,” Scaloni said. “If we feel the team isn’t at the required level, we’ll explore other options. But the players deserve our trust.”

Scaloni has already submitted a provisional 55-man squad to the Argentina Football Association, with the final 26-player roster set to be confirmed at the end of May.

“I already have a fairly clear idea of the list, but if performances don’t meet expectations, we will act to ensure we select the strongest possible squad. We are aiming for the highest level of perfection we can achieve,” he said.

“Players who have been with us longer have a slight edge because we know them better. However, they must maintain that advantage — and everyone understands that what happened against Mauritania cannot happen again.”