Arlington (Texas) [US], June 28 (ANI): Lionel Messi struck a note of unity after Argentina wrapped up a perfect FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage campaign, with the captain declaring, "One more win to complete the group stage. We're still together," in an Instagram post following the reigning champions' 3-1 victory over Jordan.
The message came after yet another historic outing for the 39-year-old, who continued to rewrite the World Cup record books with a trademark free-kick that made him the tournament's all-time leader in goals scored from outside the penalty area.
Introduced in the 60th minute, Messi curled home Argentina's third goal in the 80th minute to register his sixth World Cup strike from outside the box, surpassing Brazil legend Rivelino's long-standing record of five.
The goal also lifted Messi's overall World Cup tally to 19, extending his record as Argentina's leading scorer in the competition. It was his sixth goal of the ongoing tournament after a hat-trick against Algeria and a brace against Austria in the opening two group matches.
Messi also became the first men's player to score in seven consecutive FIFA World Cup appearances, adding another landmark to his glittering international career.
The Argentine captain further joined an elite group by becoming only the fourth player to score in all three group-stage matches of a single FIFA World Cup since the current format was introduced in 1998, following Cristiano Ronaldo (2018), David Villa (2010) and Fernando Torres (2010).
Argentina's victory was equally significant for the team, as it marked the nation's 50th win at the FIFA World Cup, making La Albiceleste only the third country after Brazil and Germany to reach the milestone.
With qualification already assured, head coach Lionel Scaloni made nine changes to his starting XI, but Argentina remained in complete control. Giovani Lo Celso marked his World Cup debut with a stunning first-half free-kick before Lautaro Martinez converted a penalty after a VAR review.
Jordan briefly threatened through Musa Al-Tamaari's goal in the 55th minute, but Messi's introduction changed the tempo of the contest, and his brilliant late free-kick ensured Argentina completed the group stage with three wins from three.
Argentina will face tournament debutants Cape Verde in the Round of 32 in Miami on July 4, while Jordan exited the competition after losing all three group-stage matches. (ANI)
