Martínez says Argentina took Jordan clash seriously, eyes Cape Verde

Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 at Dallas Stadium and finished Group J with three wins from three, with Lautaro Martínez saying the defending champions treated the match with the seriousness their history demands. Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring, Martínez converted a penalty in the 31st minute, and Lionel Messi came off the bench to seal the result in the 80th minute.

The victory kept Lionel Scaloni’s squad on course in the 23rd edition of the World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams and three host countries, Canada, Mexico and the United States. It also preserved Argentina’s bid to become the first side to retain the trophy since Brazil in 1962, a benchmark that gives every group-stage match a sharper edge for the reigning champion.

Group J also included Algeria and Austria, while Jordan arrived as one of the tournament debutants and made its first World Cup appearance with the expectation of testing the holder. That setting explained why Argentina approached the game with caution rather than comfort. FIFA had already framed the group as one in which Argentina would have to defend its title against a debutant and two established opponents.

FIFA also noted that Argentina entered the tournament with several debutants in its squad, giving Scaloni a mix of established names and new faces to manage inside a title defense. Martínez’s role in the Jordan match fitted that balance. He scored from the spot, Messi added the third after coming on as a substitute, and Argentina handled a game that could have turned awkward once Jordan replied.

Altamari scored for Jordan in the 55th minute, but the comeback never gained force. Argentina kept its shape, held its perfect record, and moved on with the same expectation that has followed it since Qatar 2022. Martínez has already turned attention to Cape Verde, and the champion carries that same obligation into the next step of the tournament.