Lo Celso hails dream World Cup debut as Argentina tops group

Giovani Lo Celso turned a long-delayed first World Cup appearance into the decisive moment of Argentina’s group stage, bending in a free kick in the 18th minute against Jordan in Dallas and helping seal a 2-0 finish to the round. After years of waiting, the midfielder said the debut felt bigger than he had imagined and thanked both the coaching staff and his family for carrying him to the moment.

The goal carried extra weight because Lo Celso had reached the tournament with zero minutes in previous World Cups. He was in Argentina’s squad in Russia in 2018 but never got on the field, then missed Qatar 2022 entirely after a muscle injury sent him to surgery weeks before kickoff. In Dallas, he first had a goal ruled out in the sixth minute for offside, then settled the score with a precise set piece that gave Argentina the breakthrough it needed at the end of the group stage.

The symbolism was as important as the finish. Lionel Messi did not start the match, Nicolás Otamendi wore the captain’s armband, and Argentina still closed the section with a perfect record. For a squad built around Messi’s gravitational pull, Lo Celso’s contribution showed how much depth Lionel Scaloni has assembled behind the headline names. The group’s internal mood, Lo Celso said, had been strong throughout, and he pointed to Messi’s energy around the squad as part of what kept the side sharp even when the captain was not on the pitch from the opening whistle.

That context matters because Argentina arrived at this World Cup carrying fresh memories of the strain in Qatar. There, the team had been pushed to the brink after losing its opener, then revived itself with a 2-0 win over Mexico that kept the campaign alive before later advancing from the group. This time, Argentina reached the final match of the section already on top of the standings and finished with maximum points, a sign of greater control and a deeper bench.

Lo Celso’s debut also resolved a remarkable personal paradox: he had been called up for three World Cups and, until Dallas, had never played a minute in one. By converting that first chance into a goal and helping Argentina finish the group with a clean sweep, he strengthened the case that Scaloni’s side can absorb setbacks, wait out absences and still look like a serious title favorite.