Argentina completed a perfect FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage by defeating Jordan 3-1 at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Giovani Lo Celso, Lautaro Martínez and substitute Lionel Messi scored for the defending champions in front of 70,649 spectators.
Lo Celso opened the scoring with a direct free kick in the 19th minute before Martínez converted a 31st-minute penalty awarded after Marcos Senesi was fouled inside the area. Argentina reached half-time with a 2-0 advantage despite Lionel Scaloni making nine changes from the side that had beaten Austria.
Jordan responded through half-time substitute Mousa Al-Taamari in the 55th minute, finishing Ehsan Haddad’s low cross at the far post. The goal gave Jordan hope of a comeback and ensured the tournament debutants scored in each of their three group matches.
Messi entered on the hour and restored Argentina’s two-goal advantage with a low free kick in the 80th minute. Argentina won Group J with nine points and will face Cape Verde in the Round of 32, while Jordan finished fourth without a point and were eliminated.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Jordan 1-3 Argentina full match scorecard and key incidents
How did Argentina control the first half despite making nine starting changes?
Scaloni had already secured first place before kick-off and used the match to rest several established starters. Messi, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Cristian Romero and other regulars began on the bench or were unavailable.
The rotated side still controlled the ball through Leandro Paredes, Exequiel Palacios, Lo Celso and Nico Paz. Argentina completed the match with 737 accurate passes and rarely allowed Jordan to hold possession beyond the first defensive pressure.
Lo Celso moved between Jordan’s midfield and defensive lines, while Giuliano Simeone supplied width on the right. Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez began together, giving Argentina two forwards capable of rotating between central and wider positions.
Jordan defended with three centre-backs and attempted to protect the penalty area. The approach restricted some open-play chances, but repeated fouls around the box exposed the debutants to Argentina’s set-piece quality.
Why did Giovani Lo Celso become the central figure in Argentina’s rotated lineup?
Lo Celso had missed the 2022 tournament through injury and had not previously appeared at a FIFA World Cup. His selection against Jordan therefore carried personal significance beyond Argentina’s already-secured qualification.
The midfielder thought he had scored after seven minutes, but the move was stopped for offside. He did not have to wait long for another opportunity.
Abu Taha fouled Argentina near the edge of the penalty area and received a yellow card in the 17th minute. Lo Celso stepped forward and curled the resulting free kick beyond Yazeed Abulaila two minutes later.
The finish gave Argentina control and rewarded Lo Celso’s influence across midfield. He repeatedly combined with Tagliafico and Lautaro, while his passing helped the holders move Jordan’s defensive block from side to side.
Lo Celso had another effort ruled out shortly after half-time because Lautaro had been offside during the build-up. Even without that second goal, his performance demonstrated the depth available to Scaloni before the knockout stage.
Why was Argentina awarded a penalty after the VAR review in the 31st minute?
Argentina delivered into Jordan’s penalty area as Senesi moved forward for a set-piece situation. Haddad made contact with the defender while both players attempted to reach the ball.
Play initially continued before the video officials reviewed the challenge. Referee István Kovács examined the incident and awarded Argentina a penalty.
Lautaro took responsibility and sent Abulaila the wrong way. The striker’s composed finish gave Argentina a 2-0 advantage and allowed the team to reduce the physical intensity before half-time.
The penalty was Lautaro’s first goal of the tournament. It also rewarded a performance in which his runs repeatedly pulled Jordan’s defenders away from Álvarez and Lo Celso.
How did Jordan’s half-time changes produce their best attacking period?
Jamal Sellami introduced Al-Taamari and Al-Mardi at half-time in an attempt to add speed and creativity. Al-Taamari had been rested from the starting lineup after carrying a significant workload during Jordan’s opening two matches.
The changes immediately altered the rhythm. Al-Taamari moved directly towards Argentina’s defenders and shot over from the edge of the area before contributing to the move that produced Jordan’s goal.
The forward initially combined in midfield before accelerating towards the far post. Haddad advanced on the right and delivered a low ball across Emiliano Martínez’s six-yard area.
Al-Taamari reached the pass ahead of the recovering defender and forced the ball into the net. Jordan had scored against the defending champions and reduced the deficit while Argentina were playing their least controlled period of the match.
The goal also meant Jordan scored in all three matches on their FIFA World Cup debut. They failed to collect a point, but their ability to threaten Austria, Algeria and Argentina offered evidence that the team could compete at this level.
Why did Lautaro Martínez’s crossbar strike matter even though Argentina were already leading?
Lautaro nearly produced the match’s most spectacular goal two minutes before Jordan scored. He collected possession outside the penalty area and curled a long-range effort towards the upper corner.
The shot beat Abulaila but struck the top of the crossbar. A third Argentina goal at that moment would probably have ended Jordan’s hopes before Al-Taamari entered the decisive attacking position.
The miss instead allowed the match to remain competitive. Jordan scored shortly afterwards and briefly created uncertainty around Argentina’s control.
Lautaro’s performance was nevertheless encouraging. He converted the penalty, attacked the spaces behind Jordan’s defensive line and combined effectively with Álvarez despite the unfamiliar two-striker structure.
How did Lionel Messi create another FIFA World Cup record from the substitutes’ bench?
Messi entered in the 60th minute alongside Almada and Mac Allister. The crowd had waited throughout the opening hour for an opportunity to see the Argentina captain during what could be his final FIFA World Cup.
His first free kick travelled over the crossbar after Al-Arab fouled Mac Allister. Jordan’s defenders then committed another foul approximately 25 metres from goal in the 80th minute.
Messi curled a low left-footed free kick around the defensive wall. Abulaila shifted his weight towards the opposite direction and could not recover before the ball crossed the line.
The goal was Messi’s sixth of FIFA World Cup 2026 and his 19th across his tournament career. He also became the first player to score in seven consecutive men’s FIFA World Cup matches.
Messi achieved the milestone after beginning on the bench and playing only the final half-hour. The sequence demonstrated why Scaloni can manage his minutes without removing his ability to decide matches.
What did Argentina’s passing dominance reveal about the depth of Scaloni’s squad?
Argentina recorded 73% possession, completed 92% of their passes and allowed Jordan only four touches inside their penalty area. Those figures were achieved despite extensive rotation.
Palacios offered disciplined control from right-back, Senesi partnered Nicolás Otamendi in central defence and Paz received an opportunity in midfield. Giuliano Simeone also stretched Jordan through repeated runs on the right.
The performance was not flawless. Argentina briefly lost control after half-time, and Jordan’s goal showed that the defensive line could be exposed when the midfield pressure weakened.
However, the wider message was positive. Scaloni can rest several established players without abandoning the principles that carried Argentina through the opening two matches.
The defending champions completed the group stage with three victories, eight goals scored and only one conceded. Their ability to rotate while retaining control may become increasingly important during a knockout schedule with limited recovery time.
Why does Jordan leave its first FIFA World Cup without a point but with reasons for optimism?
Jordan lost 3-1 to Austria, 2-1 to Algeria and 3-1 to Argentina. The final table therefore shows three defeats, but the performances were more competitive than the record suggests.
Sellami’s team scored in every match and remained within one goal of Austria and Algeria during important periods. Against Argentina, the introduction of Al-Taamari showed that Jordan possessed an attacker capable of troubling elite defenders.
The main weakness was the punishment attached to individual errors. Fouls around the penalty area, lost defensive duels and lapses during transitions repeatedly resulted in goals.
Jordan also lacked the squad depth available to their opponents. Al-Taamari carried a large share of the creative burden, while relatively few squad members compete regularly in Europe’s strongest leagues.
The experience nevertheless provides a foundation for future Asian Cup and qualification campaigns. Jordan reached the tournament for the first time and demonstrated that qualification need not be an isolated achievement.
How did the Algeria and Austria draw complete the final Group J qualification picture?
Argentina had already secured first place before the final round and finished with a perfect nine points. They scored eight goals and conceded only Al-Taamari’s second-half finish.
Austria and Algeria drew 3-3 in the simultaneous match in Kansas City. Both teams finished with four points, but Austria claimed second place because of their superior goal difference.
Algeria advanced as one of the eight best third-placed teams. Their four-point total eliminated Iran, who had finished Group G with three points.
Jordan remained fourth without a point. Their three goals scored were offset by eight conceded across the tournament.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J final points table
What does Argentina’s Round of 32 meeting with Cape Verde mean for the holders?
Argentina will face Cape Verde at Miami Stadium on Friday, July 3. The defending champions enter the match with three victories and one of the strongest defensive records of the group stage.
Cape Verde reached the knockout phase after drawing all three Group H matches. They held Spain 0-0, recovered to draw 2-2 with Uruguay and finished with another goalless result against Saudi Arabia.
The Blue Sharks will defend compactly and attempt to slow Argentina’s combinations around Messi, Álvarez and Mac Allister. Goalkeeper Vozinha and the defensive unit have already demonstrated that they can resist sustained pressure from an elite possession team.
Argentina will be expected to dominate, but the opening draw between Spain and Cape Verde provides a warning against complacency. Scaloni must decide whether to restore his usual lineup immediately or retain players such as Lo Celso after their performances against Jordan.
Messi’s workload will also remain important. He played only 30 minutes in Dallas, leaving him fresher for the knockout stage without interrupting his extraordinary scoring run.
Key takeaways from Jordan vs Argentina at FIFA World Cup 2026
- Argentina defeated Jordan 3-1 and completed Group J with three victories from three matches.
- Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring with a direct free kick in the 19th minute.
- Lautaro Martínez converted a 31st-minute penalty after a VAR review of the foul on Marcos Senesi.
- Lo Celso had two additional efforts disallowed because of offsides during the attacking moves.
- Lautaro struck the crossbar shortly after half-time as Argentina searched for a third goal.
- Mousa Al-Taamari scored from Ehsan Haddad’s cross ten minutes after entering as a substitute.
- Jordan scored in all three matches during their first FIFA World Cup appearance.
- Lionel Messi entered in the 60th minute and scored a low free kick in the 80th.
- Messi became the first player to score in seven consecutive men’s FIFA World Cup matches.
- Argentina will face Cape Verde in Miami, while Jordan were eliminated without a point.
Share this:
Discover more from Business-News-Today.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
