Lionel Messi (Image credit: X)

NEW DELHI: Defending champions Argentina finished the group stage with three wins from three after beating Jordan 3-1 on Saturday.Giovani Lo Celso, Lautaro Martinez and Lionel Messi scored for Argentina, who had already secured top spot in Group J before the match. Jordan, playing in their first-ever World Cup, ended their campaign with three defeats.Argentina will now face Cape Verde in the Round of 32 on Friday in Miami.

Lo Celso and Martinez put Argentina in control

With nine changes to the starting XI, Argentina still looked comfortable.Lo Celso, making his first World Cup start, opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a brilliant direct free-kick. It was his first World Cup goal and also the first scored by an Argentina player other than Lionel Messi at this tournament.Lautaro Martinez doubled the lead in the 31st minute from the penalty spot. The penalty was awarded after a VAR review showed Julian Alvarez had been kicked in the face during a goalmouth scramble. Moments earlier, Martinez had struck the crossbar from close range.The goal was also Martinez’s first at the 2026 World Cup. He and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez were the only outfield players to start all three group matches for Argentina.

Messi comes off the bench to make history

Messi started on the bench after Argentina had already wrapped up first place in the group. The 39-year-old came on in the 60th minute, just three days after his birthday, replacing Lautaro Martinez.Twenty minutes later, he scored from a free-kick to make it 3-1.It was Messi’s sixth goal of the tournament and his 19th World Cup goal overall, extending his record as the leading men’s scorer in World Cup history.The goal also made him the first player ever to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches. He had entered the game after scoring all five of Argentina’s goals in wins over Algeria and Austria, including his first World Cup hat-trick and a record-breaking brace against Austria.