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Argentina captain Lionel Messi added another chapter to his remarkable World Cup career as he helped his side secure a 3-1 victory over Jordan in their final Group J match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Coming off the bench in the second half, Messi scored from a free-kick in the 80th minute, registering his sixth FIFA World Cup goal from outside the penalty area. The strike moved him ahead of Brazil's great Rivellino for the most goals scored from outside the box in tournament history.

The goal also increased Messi’s overall World Cup tally to 19, extending his record as Argentina’s leading scorer at the competition. It was his sixth goal of the 2026 tournament and continued an extraordinary scoring run that began with a hat-trick against Algeria before two goals against Austria.

Having started the match among the substitutes, Messi entered in the 60th minute and made an immediate impact. His free-kick 20 minutes later ensured Argentina finished the group stage with three wins from three matches and became the first men's player to score in seven consecutive FIFA World Cup appearances.

The Argentine captain also joined an exclusive group of players to score in all three group-stage matches at a single World Cup since the current format was introduced in 1998. Cristiano Ronaldo achieved the feat in 2018, while David Villa and Fernando Torres both did so for Spain in 2010.

Argentina reached another landmark with the victory, recording their 50th World Cup win and becoming only the third nation after Brazil and Germany to achieve that milestone.

With qualification already secured before kickoff, head coach Lionel Scaloni rotated his squad extensively, making nine changes to the starting lineup. The adjustments did not affect Argentina’s performance as Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a well-taken free-kick. It was a memorable moment for the midfielder, who missed the 2022 World Cup through injury and was making his tournament debut.

Lautaro Martínez doubled the advantage from the penalty spot after a VAR review awarded Argentina a penalty for a foul on Marcos Senesi. The Inter Milan forward converted to score his first World Cup goal.

Jordan responded in the 55th minute when Musa Al-Tamaari finished from close range following a dangerous delivery from Ihsan Haddad, briefly reducing the deficit.

However, Messi’s introduction restored Argentina’s control of the match, and his trademark free-kick sealed the 3-1 result and another record-breaking evening for the World Cup holders.

Argentina will next face tournament debutants Cape Verde in the Round of 32 in Miami on July 4. Jordan exited the tournament after three group-stage defeats, though they managed to score in each of their matches.