Lionel Messi marked his 19th World Cup goal as Argentina concluded their Group J campaign with a 3-1 victory over already-eliminated Jordan, securing momentum ahead of a Round of 32 meeting with Cape Verde.
The defending champions entered the fixture assured of top spot, allowing manager Lionel Scaloni to make nine changes to his starting eleven. Only goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and striker Lautaro Martinez retained their places from the side that defeated Austria, while 21-year-old Como midfielder Nico Paz earned his first start of the tournament. Bayer Leverkusen’s Exequiel Palacios also made his first appearance of the finals.
Despite the heavy rotation, Argentina controlled proceedings at a venue filled with anticipation for Messi’s eventual arrival. The forward began among the substitutes, though the stand-ins quickly established authority.
Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring midway through the first half, curling a left-footed free-kick around the wall from 20 yards after Jordan wing-back Mohannad Abu Taha had conceded the set-piece. The midfielder had earlier seen a finish ruled out for offside following good work from Julian Alvarez.
Lautaro Martinez doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 31st minute. The spot-kick was awarded following a VAR review after defender Marcos Senesi took a boot to the face from Nizar Al-Rashdan while competing for a rebound that goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila had parried. Martinez, who had earlier struck the crossbar, drilled his conversion low to the keeper’s right.
Jordan Briefly Threaten
Jordan, competing in their maiden World Cup campaign, arrived at the fixture without hope of progression following narrow defeats to Austria and Algeria. The Asian side surprisingly dropped their only Europe-based player, Rennes winger Moussa Al-Taamari, to the bench, though he emerged at the interval to make an impact.
Al-Taamari reduced the deficit midway through the second period, converting a precise centre from captain Ehsan Haddad, who had skipped past Paz before delivering from the right. The strike briefly suggested a contest, but Messi’s introduction settled the matter.
The 39-year-old entered to replace Lautaro Martinez and won a free-kick 22 yards from goal shortly after. He whipped the ball around the wall with sufficient bend to defeat Abulaila, despite the central trajectory of the strike. It was his sixth goal in three appearances at this tournament.
Transfer Sideshow and Next Steps
Paz’s full debut came amid escalating speculation regarding his future. Real Madrid reportedly retain a €9m buy-back option for the Argentine, while Como are prepared to spend €60m to re-sign him immediately should the clause be activated.
The victory confirms Argentina’s progression as group winners and sets up a Round of 32 encounter with fellow debutants Cape Verde in Atlanta. For Jordan, the defeat concludes a first World Cup appearance that ended at the group stage despite competitive showings against European opposition.
Scaloni’s rotation policy provided valuable minutes for squad players including Palacios, while Messi’s latest milestone suggests the captain remains sharp for sterner knockout tests ahead.