Argentina Beat Jordan 3-1 as Messi Extends World Cup Record, Champions Finish Group Stage Perfect

Defending champions Argentina wrapped up a flawless FIFA World Cup group-stage campaign with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Jordan, as Lionel Messi came off the bench to score again and extend his remarkable World Cup scoring streak.

The South Americans finished Group J with a perfect record of three wins from three matches, reinforcing their status as one of the tournament favourites heading into the knockout rounds.

Argentina dominated from the opening whistle and were rewarded with an early breakthrough when Giovani Lo Celso curled a superb free-kick into the net to hand his side the lead.

The pressure continued to mount on Jordan, and Argentina doubled their advantage before half-time through Lautaro Martinez, who calmly converted a penalty after a chaotic sequence inside the penalty area. Julián Álvarez had struck the crossbar before Marcos Senesi was fouled while challenging for the rebound, prompting the referee to award the spot-kick.

Jordan produced a spirited response after the restart.

The Middle Eastern side pulled one back through Mousa Al Tamari, who finished brilliantly after meeting an excellent cross from Ehsan Haddad following a flowing team move that sliced through Argentina's defence.

However, any hopes of a comeback were short-lived.

Moments after entering the match as a substitute, Lionel Messi won a free-kick just outside the penalty area before stepping up to curl a trademark effort beyond the goalkeeper, restoring Argentina's two-goal cushion.

The strike also earned the Argentine captain another place in the record books, making him the first player to score in seven consecutive FIFA World Cup matches.

Argentina comfortably controlled the closing stages to secure all three points and preserve their 100 per cent record in the competition.

Elsewhere in Group J, Austria and Algeria played out an entertaining 3-3 draw, a result that saw both nations advance to the knockout phase while Iran exited the tournament.

Argentina now head into the Round of 32 full of confidence after an impressive group-stage display that combined attacking quality, squad depth and the enduring brilliance of Messi.