Lionel Messi added to his record-breaking tournament once more, coming off the bench to score in Argentina's 3-1 victory over Jordan in their final group game — capping a group stage in which the 38-year-old has been, again, his country's defining figure.
Rested, then decisive
Coach Lionel Scaloni left Messi on the bench at the start, with Argentina already assured of progress, but the captain entered and found the net to help close out a comfortable win in Dallas, as match reports recorded. It was his sixth goal of the tournament — after a hat-trick against Algeria and a brace against Austria — and it extended a record that already belonged to him alone.
The record, extended
Days earlier, against Austria, Messi had surpassed Germany's Miroslav Klose to become the all-time leading scorer in men's World Cup history, moving beyond Klose's tally of 16 goals set across four tournaments from 2002 to 2014. Messi has now reached his mark across six World Cups since 2006, and his strike against Jordan pushed the record further still — a milestone he had spent two decades approaching.
A perfect group, and Cape Verde next
The win left Argentina top of their group with three victories from three, an emphatic statement from the side that lifted the trophy in Qatar in 2022. The defending champions now turn to the knockout rounds, where they will face Cape Verde — the tiny Atlantic island nation enjoying a fairy-tale debut run — in the round of 32 in Miami on Friday, Yahoo Sports reported.
The last act
Questions about Messi's role have followed him through a tournament widely expected to be his last, with Scaloni managing his minutes carefully. But the scoresheet has answered them: six goals in the group stage, a record that is now his to keep extending, and a champion still shaping matches at 38. For Argentina, and for the watching world, every game from here carries the weight of a likely farewell.
