Messi strikes again as Argentina cruise past Jordan

Argentina wrapped up a flawless Group J campaign with a composed 3–1 win over Jordan, highlighted by Lionel Messi’s sixth goal of the tournament after coming off the bench. With qualification already secured, Messi started among the substitutes in Texas, but entered on the hour to huge applause and curled in a late free‑kick to seal the result.

A heavily rotated Argentina side had already built a two‑goal cushion. Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring with a bending free‑kick that wrong‑footed goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila, before Lautaro Martínez smashed home a penalty awarded after VAR spotted a foul on Marcos Senesi. Jordan briefly stunned the crowd when Mousa Al‑Tamari stabbed in early in the second half, but the champions remained in control.

Argentina finish with nine points and look formidable heading into their last‑32 clash with debutants Cape Verde, as they chase back‑to‑back World Cup titles.