The head coach revealed that Messi will be rested from the start against Jordan in Dallas but will still feature later in the match if needed.
He added that the move is intended to reward the wider squad with valuable minutes while ensuring Messi remains fresh for the knockout rounds.
"Lionel Messi will be on the bench, but I'm telling you because it's you," Scaloni told reporters.
"Messi will most likely play the second half. It's a decision primarily made so that his teammates can also get playing time. We'll see how many minutes."
"The lads who are going to play tomorrow deserve to play. They're part of the squad, and a large part of everything that's been done is for them, so even though they're not getting to play, they're still there. My hope as the coach is that the team plays the same way, even if the players are different."