Argentina concluded their World Cup group stage campaign unbeaten after a 3-1 victory over Jordan in Group J. Coach Lionel Scaloni’s side dominated early, scoring twice in the first half through Giovani Lo Celso and Lautaro Martínez. Captain Lionel Messi came off the bench in the second half and sealed the win with a free-kick goal in the 80th minute at the Dallas Stadium.
Messi’s goal marked a historic milestone as he became the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches, surpassing France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho. Playing in his record sixth World Cup, Messi now has six goals in the current tournament and 19 overall in World Cup history. Scaloni made nine changes to the starting lineup to test squad depth before the knockout stage.
With this commanding performance, defending champions Argentina advance to the knockout rounds as group leaders and remain one of the favorites for the title.