Lionel Messi came off the bench in the 60th minute and scored a trademark free-kick to lead Argentina to a 3-1 victory over Jordan in their World Cup Group J clash in Dallas. The goal marked Messi's 19th World Cup strike, extending his all-time record, and made him the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup appearances.
Messi's impact off the bench
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni had agreed with Messi that he would only play the final 30 minutes, given Argentina had already secured top spot in Group J. "He could have played 90 minutes but, without undermining our opponent, he wanted his teammates to have time on the pitch and save himself for what's coming up," Scaloni said. "He doesn't think so much about the numbers people are talking about so I'm happy he decided that."
Messi had already sent one free-kick over the bar before he was fouled 22 yards from goal. From a central position, he curled the ball around Jordan's wall, beating goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila, who was caught flat-footed. The goal was Messi's sixth in three games, putting him two clear of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Vinícius Júnior and Erling Haaland in the golden boot race.
Argentina's early dominance
Argentina took the lead in the seventh minute when Giovani Lo Celso scored a free-kick after Abu Taha was penalised for a foul. Abulaila was positioned too far left and could not save. Lo Celso, who missed the 2018 World Cup through injury, celebrated his first World Cup goal.
Lautaro Martínez doubled the lead from the penalty spot just after the half-hour mark. He had hit the bar in a move that led to Nizar al-Rashdan kicking Marcos Senesi in the face six yards out, resulting in the penalty. Martínez later hit the frame of the goal from range and appears likely to start alongside Messi in the round of 32 against Cape Verde.
Jordan's consolation goal
Jordan pulled one back in the 55th minute through Musa al-Taamari. Captain Ehsan Haddad beat Nico Paz with deft footwork before delivering a first-time cross that al-Taamari converted on the stretch. It was the best-constructed goal of the game and meant Jordan had scored against all three of their group opponents.
Jordan head coach Jamal Sellami said: "But as we were competing with high-level teams small errors were very costly." He praised his team's ability to score but noted that defensive lapses proved decisive.
Looking ahead
Scaloni made nine changes for the dead rubber, with the draw opening up for Argentina. Their round-of-32 opponents are Cape Verde, with Colombia or Switzerland a likely quarterfinal challenge. "I guarantee, believe me, that it's going to be a team that makes things difficult for us," Scaloni said of Cape Verde. Argentina are defending champions and serious contenders to retain the title.
Messi's cameo ensured another chapter in his storied career. "I just said: 'Get warmed up, you're going on,'" Scaloni said with a laugh. "What am I going to tell him?" Yet again, Messi had the script ready.
