ARLINGTON, Texas — Lionel Messi made a significant impact after coming off the bench in the 60th minute during Argentina’s World Cup group stage match against Jordan. His free kick helped secure a 3-1 victory for the reigning champions, who had already clinched first place in their group.
With this goal, the 39-year-old captain solidified his status as the all-time leading goal scorer in World Cup history, now with 19 goals. Additionally, Messi scored in his seventh consecutive World Cup match, surpassing both France‘s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho for the tournament record.
This goal marked Messi’s 72nd career free kick and the 12th for his national team. He has netted a total of 123 international goals, placing him second all-time behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 145 goals in 202 appearances.
With Messi on the bench at the start, Giovani Lo Celso and Lautaro Martínez both scored in the first half against a Jordan team already out of the knockout stage contention.
“I am really happy for him and for what he is experiencing,” Lo Celso remarked after netting a free kick in the 19th minute, making him the first Argentine besides Messi to score in this tournament. “Seeing him every day is inspiring and infectious for us. Having him on the field is crucial.”
The fans at AT&T Stadium erupted into chants for Messi as the second half commenced, and the excitement peaked when he entered the match just three days post his 39th birthday.
Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, had previously confirmed that Messi would begin the match on the bench but would play later. When he came on for Martínez in the 60th minute, it was greeted with enthusiasm.
“I spoke with Leo [Messi], and we both agreed that having him come on in the second half was the best decision for today. It shows how much he means to the team,” Scaloni stated.
“He observed 55 minutes of the match before entering and understood the dynamics. Sometimes I can suggest adjustments for him, but he doesn’t require any guidance.”
Earlier in the tournament, Messi broke the 16-goal World Cup record he previously shared with Germany’s Miroslav Klose, scoring twice against Austria. Currently playing in his sixth World Cup, Messi stands apart from Klose, whose last tournament goal came against Messi’s Argentina in the 2014 final.
Kylian Mbappé also scored his 16th World Cup goal with a brace in France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq, just hours after Messi set the new record. Mbappé, who is currently just behind Messi with four goals in the tournament, did not find the net in France‘s final group stage match against Norway, which they won 4-1.
“What you see from Messi is exactly what I’m seeing,” Scaloni added. “It’s become a somewhat uncomfortable situation when I’m asked about it because I’m at a loss for words.”
As Group J winners, Argentina will face first-time World Cup qualifiers Cape Verde in the round of 32.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.