On June 28, Argentina defeated Jordan 3-1 in their final group stage match of Group J at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. With this victory, Argentina secured all three wins in the group stage, finishing with nine points and advancing to the knockout stage as group leaders.
Having already secured their spot in the next round, Argentina opted to rest Messi, who started the match on the bench. He entered the game in the 60th minute, replacing Lautaro Martinez, as Argentina held a 2-1 lead.
Just 20 minutes after coming on, Messi showcased his talent. In the 80th minute, he scored a stunning free kick from just outside the penalty area, leaving the Jordanian goalkeeper with no chance. This goal marked a new milestone for Messi, establishing him as the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches. The previous record was held by Just Fontaine of France and Jairzinho of Brazil, who each scored in six consecutive matches during the 1958 and 1970 tournaments, respectively.
Messi began his scoring streak in the Round of 16 against Australia in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, continuing through the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final (where he scored twice). In this tournament, he has scored six goals in the group stage (three against Algeria, two against Austria, and one against Jordan), breaking the 56-year-old record for the most consecutive goals.
He also set a new personal World Cup scoring record with 19 goals, extending his lead over Kylian Mbappé of France and Miroslav Klose of Germany, who are tied for second place with 16 goals, by three goals.
Messi's six goals in this North American World Cup have solidified his position as the tournament's top scorer, leading the second-place group, which includes Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé (both from France), Erling Haaland (Norway), and Vinícius Júnior (Brazil), by two goals.
In the match against Jordan, Argentina took the lead in the 19th minute with a free kick goal from Giovani Lo Celso, marking the first goal of the tournament scored by a player other than Messi. Martinez then successfully converted a penalty kick in the 31st minute, putting Argentina ahead 2-0. Although they conceded their first goal of the tournament to Jordan's Mousa Al-Tamari in the 55th minute, Messi's late free kick secured a comfortable victory.
With an unbeaten record in the group stage, Argentina will face the surprise team Cape Verde in the Round of 32 on July 4. The match will take place in Miami, Messi's home base. A victory would set them up to meet the winner of the match between Australia and Egypt in the Round of 16.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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