​Argentina warmed up for their World Cup knockout clash with Cape Verde by beating Jordan 3-1, with Lionel Messi coming off the bench to score his sixth goal of the tournament. The 39-year-old talisman greeted the crowd with a huge cheer as he entered the game in the 60th minute and netted with a free-kick to seal the victory for the holders, who finished Group J atop the standings with maximum points after beating Algeria 3-0 and Austria 2-0—all of Argentina’s goals in the group coming from Messi.
Coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi could have played the full match but chose to rest and share minutes with his teammates in view of what lies ahead. Giovani Lo Celso had started the scoring for Argentina with a superb free-kick, while Lautaro Martínez converted a penalty after a VAR review. Jordan pulled one back through Mousa Al-Tamari 10 minutes into the second half, but Argentina’s victory was emphatic.
The side, who made nine changes from their previous game, retained only goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and Lautaro Martínez, as Scaloni sought to reinforce the hunger and depth in the squad ahead of a tougher test against Cape Verde. The match was played in front of a packed Dallas crowd at the home of the Cowboys, with Argentina dominant throughout.
Lo Celso reflected on a near-perfect group stage, acknowledging the challenge the group posed and expressing pride in the performance, while noting room for improvement in keeping a clean sheet. The win set up a coveted meeting with Cape Verde, as Argentina aim to prove they can defend their title and continue their pursuit of back-to-back World Cup wins.