Messi scores free kick as Argentina beats Jordan 3-1, sets record

Lionel Messi turned a foul outside the area into another World Cup record, curling a left-footed free kick through the Jordan wall in the 80th minute to finish Argentina’s 3-1 win in Dallas. The goal was Messi’s sixth of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and his seventh consecutive World Cup match with a goal, a run that has put set pieces at the center of Argentina’s title defense.

Argentina controlled the match through Giovani Lo Celso’s opener in the 19th minute and Lautaro Martínez’s penalty in the 31st, then absorbed Jordan’s response after Altamari scored in the 55th minute. When the game tightened, Messi came off the bench and made the decisive moment look routine, finding enough space between the wall and the near center of the goal that the Jordan goalkeeper could not react in time.

The strike added to a career ledger that already places Messi at the top of the tournament’s scoring and appearance lists. Before kickoff, he had 16 World Cup goals in 27 matches, level with Miroslav Klose for the competition record, and 26 World Cup appearances, the most in the event’s history. This was also Messi’s sixth World Cup, matching Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa for the most by any player.

For Argentina, the result was about more than a place in the standings. The reigning world champions were playing in their 19th World Cup and trying to defend the crown they won in Qatar in 2022, with Messi still shaping games both in open play and from dead balls. Against Jordan, a routine foul near the box became a high-probability scoring chance because of the precision and disguise he brought to the restart.

Julián Álvarez and Alexis Mac Allister described the performance afterward as historic and difficult to put into words, a reaction that fit the scale of the milestone more than the final scoreline alone. Messi’s free kick did not just seal a group-stage win; it deepened the sense that Argentina’s most dangerous phase of play can begin the moment the whistle goes.