2026 World Cup: Argentina puts on a show against Jordan—Messi works his magic and Lautaro celebrates

Another impressive performance by Argentina, which, in its final group stage match, also defeated Jordan (3-1), finishing with a perfect record (it will face Curaçao in the Round of 16). Messi was once again the star of the show; after coming on in the 60th minute, he scored what is his sixth World Cup goal with a stunning free kick.

The Argentine captain’s goal cemented his position as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, bringing his total to 19 goals. Messi, 39, also scored in his seventh consecutive World Cup match, surpassing France’s Fontaine and Brazilian star Jairzinho for the record for consecutive goals in the tournament.

“I’m very happy for him, for the moment he’s experiencing,” said Lo Celso, who scored the opening goal that broke the deadlock. “The truth is that seeing him every day is exciting, inspiring, and really contagious. So, of course, seeing him like this is very important to us.”

The celebration was made complete with Lautaro Martinez’s first World Cup goal as well. The Inter striker, after failing to find the back of the net in his first two matches, finally broke his scoring drought. Fun fact: Coach Scaloni rested nine of his eleven starters, keeping only goalkeeper Dibu Martinez and the Nerazzurri striker on the field from the start—and the striker responded with a goal that was especially important for his morale.