Lionel Scaloni’s heavily rotated Argentina finish the group stage with three wins from three. Lo Celso, Lautaro Martínez and Lionel Messi seal another victory as the reigning champions march confidently into the Round of 32.
Match Report
Argentina completed a flawless Group J campaign with a 3-1 victory over Jordan in Dallas, extending their perfect record and confirming first place with nine points.
Despite extensive squad rotation, Lionel Scaloni’s side once again demonstrated the remarkable depth of the world champions. Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring with a superb free kick before Lautaro Martínez doubled the lead from the penalty spot for his first goal of the tournament.
Jordan, already eliminated, continued to show admirable fighting spirit and pulled one back early in the second half through Mousa Al Tamari, meaning they found the net in all three of their World Cup matches despite finishing without a point.
Scaloni then brought Lionel Messi off the bench, and the Argentine captain once again stole the spotlight. The 39-year-old curled home a trademark free kick in the 80th minute, becoming the first player ever to score in seven consecutive World Cup appearances. The goal also took Messi to six goals in the tournament, leaving him as the leading scorer at the end of the group stage.
Argentina now advance to the Round of 32 with maximum points and will face tournament surprise Cape Verde, while Jordan exit the competition having earned plenty of respect despite three defeats.
Match Report
Jordan 1-3 Argentina
Scorers: 19′ Lo Celso, 31′ Lautaro Martínez (pen), 55′ Al Tamari, 80′ Messi
Jordan: Abulaila; Al-Arab, Haddad, Nasib, Abudahab (90′ Obaid); Al-Rawabdeh, Abu Taha, Al-Rashdan (76′ Jamous), Azaizeh (46′ Al Tamari); Fakhouri (46′ Al Mardi), Olwan (90′ Abu Zrayq).
Head Coach: Jamal Sellami
Argentina: Emiliano Martínez; Senesi, Otamendi, Tagliafico; Giovanni Simeone (71′ Barco), Paredes, Palacios, Lo Celso (60′ Thiago Almada); Nico Paz (60′ Mac Allister), Julián Álvarez (82′ José Manuel López); Lautaro Martínez (60′ Messi).
Head Coach: Lionel Scaloni
Referee: István Kovács (Romania)
Yellow Cards: Abu Taha, Al-Arab
Group J Final Standings
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 9 | Qualified |
| 2 | Austria | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 5 | Qualified |
| 3 | Algeria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | Qualified | |
| 4 | Jordan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | -8 | Eliminated |
Round of 32: Argentina will face Cape Verde, while Austria take on Spain. Algeria also advance as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams and will meet Switzerland.
