Lo Celso, Messi lead Argentina past Jordan to complete perfect group stage
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Giovani Lo Celso became the first Argentine player other than Lionel Messi to score in this World Cup as the defending champions completed a three‑game sweep of the group stage with a 3-1 win over Jordan on Saturday night.
Lo Celso, making his first World Cup start, put Argentina ahead for good with a direct free kick in the 19th minute. Lautaro Martínez added a penalty in the 31st, and Messi scored in the 80th after entering as a second‑half substitute. The tournament's leading scorer now has six goals and extended his all‑time World Cup record to 19.
Messi was one of nine starters rotated out since Argentina had already clinched Group J. He entered in the 60th minute, three days after his 39th birthday, returning to the same stadium where he broke the scoring record last Monday. He has scored in seven straight World Cup matches, breaking a tie with France's Just Fontaine and Brazil's Jairzinho for the longest streak in tournament history.
Martínez, who was subbed off for Messi, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez were the only Argentina players to start all three group matches.
Argentina, unbeaten in its last nine World Cup games with seven wins and two draws, advances to the round of 32 and will face Cape Verde on Friday in Miami, home of Messi's MLS club. This is Argentina's fifth perfect group stage and its first since 2010 and 2014. The team is 14‑2‑3 in its last 19 group matches. France and Mexico were the only other teams in the expanded 48‑nation field to finish with nine points.
Jordan, ranked No. 72 in the world, lost all three matches in its World Cup debut and was outscored 8–3. Mousa Altamari scored in the 55th minute after entering at halftime.
Lo Celso and Martínez both scored their first World Cup goals. Lo Celso had an earlier attempt waved off for offside, then earned the free kick after being tripped just outside the box by Mohannad Abutaha, who received a yellow card. It was Argentina's first direct free‑kick goal in a World Cup since Messi scored against Nigeria in 2014.
After Martínez hit the crossbar, Julián Álvarez's follow‑up header was tipped over the net by goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila. A VAR review showed Álvarez was kicked in the face on the play, resulting in the penalty.
Nicolás Paz, who debuted as a late substitute in Argentina's opener, made his first start. Paz and Lo Celso were joined by Marcos Senesi and Giuliano Simeone in earning their first World Cup starts. Paz and Simeone are the first sons of former Argentina national team players to appear in a World Cup; both were born in Europe.
