World Cup – Messi comes off the bench to score, Argentina defeats Jordan 3-1 for their third consecutive victory.

In the third round of Group J in the 2026 World Cup, Argentina easily defeated Jordan 3-1 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, USA. They have now secured the top spot in the group with 9 points from three wins and will face Cape Verde in the round of 32.

As for Jordan, they lost all three of their subsequent matches and were eliminated.

Despite significant squad rotation, Argentina maintained their dominance from the start. In the 7th minute, Julian Álvarez delivered a through ball to Giovanni Lo Celso, whose one-on-one goal was ruled offside. However, just six minutes later, Lo Celso converted a free kick from the edge of the box, making it 1-0.

In the 28th minute, Nicolás Tagliafico delivered a cross from the left wing, and Lautaro Martinez's shot hit the crossbar and bounced out. Marcos Senesi attempted a follow-up shot but was kicked in the face by Jordanian midfielder Nizar Rashdan, earning a penalty. Lautaro then converted the penalty to extend the lead. Neither side managed to score again, and Argentina went into halftime with a 2-0 lead.

After the break, Argentina maintained control of the game. In the 48th minute, Lautaro Martinez broke into the penalty area, dribbled past goalkeeper Jazid Abela, and then passed back to Lo Celso, who slotted the ball home. The linesman immediately raised his flag for offside, and the goal was disallowed again. In the 50th minute, Lautaro Martinez delivered a diagonal pass from the edge of the box, and Alvarez's shot from the left side of the penalty area was saved by Abela. In the 53rd minute, Lo Celso passed the ball to the left wing from the edge of the box, and Lautaro Martinez's sudden shot was denied by the crossbar.

In the 55th minute, Ihsan Haddad capitalized on a defensive lapse by delivering a brilliant cross, which Moussa Tamari slid in to pull one back for Jordan. Lionel Scaloni immediately made substitutions, bringing on Messi, Thiago Almada, and Alexis McAllister.

In the 80th minute, Messi converted a free kick to make it 3-0. At the final whistle, Argentina defeated Jordan 3-1, who had already been eliminated from the competition.

Image source: Internet/X