Messi scores 6th goal as Argentina rout Jordan 3-1

Defending champion Argentina swept past Jordan 3-1 on Sunday, powered by Lionel Messi's goal in three consecutive group-stage matches, to finish the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group J phase with a perfect three wins.

Argentina defeated Jordan 3-1 in the final Group J match at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

With the victory, Argentina topped Group J with nine points from three wins. Austria, who drew 3-3 with Algeria on Sunday, finished second on four points (one win, one draw, one loss, goal difference 0), while Algeria also ended on four points (one win, one draw, one loss, goal difference -2). Both Argentina and Austria secured their places in the round of 32.

Jordan were eliminated after three straight losses. Algeria, finishing third in the group, ranked sixth among all third-place finishers and claimed the last remaining round-of-32 berth.

Argentina started the match with Messi on the bench, deploying Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez as a two-striker partnership up front against Jordan.

In the 19th minute, Argentina broke the deadlock when Giovanni Lo Celso curled a left-footed free kick into the net from a set piece won to the right of the penalty arc. It was the first goal of the tournament for an Argentina player other than Messi, who had scored all five of the team's previous goals.

Messi had carried Argentina's attack single-handedly through the first two matches — netting a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria and scoring twice in a 2-0 victory over Austria.

Argentina doubled their lead in the 27th minute after a penalty was awarded when Alvarez, attempting to head in a rebound off the crossbar from Martinez's header, was struck in the face by a Jordanian defender's foot. Martinez converted the spot kick in the 31st minute to send Argentina into halftime leading 2-0.

Jordan, who had struggled to create chances in the first half, pulled one back in the 55th minute. Musa Al-Tamari charged into the center of the penalty area and finished with his left foot from a cross delivered by Ehsan Haddad on the right flank — Argentina's first goal conceded in the tournament.

Argentina brought Messi on for Martinez in the 60th minute, and his appearance extended his own World Cup record for most appearances to 29 matches.

Welcomed by a standing ovation from a crowd of more than 70,000, Messi made his mark in the 80th minute, bending a superb left-footed free kick from just outside the penalty arc into the Jordan net.

Messi's sixth goal of the tournament, scored in all three group-stage matches, kept him alone at the top of the scoring charts.

The goal also extended his streak of consecutive World Cup matches with a goal to seven — spanning from the round of 16 at the 2022 tournament through all three group-stage games this year — surpassing the previous record of six consecutive scoring matches shared by Just Fontaine of France and Jairzinho of Brazil.

Messi also pushed his all-time World Cup goal tally to 19, sealing Argentina's 3-1 win.

In the other Group J finale, played at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, Algeria drew 3-3 with Austria in a high-scoring affair, with Riyad Mahrez scoring twice to help Algeria advance to the round of 32.