Jordan national football team vs Argentina national football team lineups ended with Lionel Messi coming off the bench and scoring Argentina’s third goal in a 3-1 win at World Cup 2026. The result sent Argentina through the group stage with another comfortable victory, and Messi’s finish pushed his World Cup total to six.
Lionel Messi and the late change
Messi’s appearance changed the match immediately. He scored after coming off the bench, and Yazeed Abulaila watched the free-kick roll into the net. That was Argentina’s third goal, the one that settled the score after Jordan had kept the game alive for long stretches.
He also reached 19 goals in World Cup football with the strike, and it was his sixth goal of the World Cup. Seven successive World Cup games now have his name on the scoresheet. Give him half an hour and he will leave a mark that lasts for ever.
Jordan’s late substitutions
Jordan’s changes came in waves before Messi entered. Giuliano Simeone was replaced by Valentin Barco in the 71st minute, Amer Jamous came on for Nizar al-Rashdan in the 76th, and Jose Manuel Lopez replaced Julian Alvarez in the 82nd.
Then, in the 89th minute, Mohammad Abu Zrayq and Salim Obaid replaced Abu Dahab and Ali Olwan. Those moves showed Jordan still had legitimate hope of forcing an equaliser before Argentina’s final answer arrived.
Argentina move on in Miami
Argentina finished the job at 3-1 and moved into the last 32 with the group stage done and dusted. Messi’s arrival from the bench had preoccupied the overwhelming majority of those under this vast roof, and once he scored, the match belonged to Argentina.
Argentina were due to play Cape Verde in Miami on Friday, with the group phase already settled and Messi carrying a six-goal tournament total into the next match.
Which players were in Argentina’s full starting lineup against Jordan?
