Scaloni praises rotation as Argentina beats Jordan 3-1, eyes Cabo Verde

Lionel Messi stayed on the bench until after an hour in Dallas Stadium as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 and Lionel Scaloni made nine changes from the 2-0 win over Austria. Argentina had already secured first place in Group J before kickoff.

Giovani Lo Celso put Argentina ahead in the 19th minute with a free kick, and Lautaro Martínez doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the 31st. Mousa Altamari pulled one back for Jordan in the 55th minute, but Messi finished the match off in the 80th after coming on in the second half.

Scaloni said the rotation was deliberate. “I'm happy because we gave everyone minutes, and that's very important for us,” he said, highlighting Lo Celso, who had missed the previous World Cup, and Lautaro, who had not scored before this match in the tournament.

Argentina fielded a starting XI without Messi in a World Cup for the first time since June 30, 2006, when it lost to Germany in the quarterfinals. FIFA recorded Messi’s goal as his sixth of the 2026 tournament, and he scored in seven straight World Cup matches, a new record.

Argentina closed the group stage with nine points and now turns to Cabo Verde in Miami on Friday, July 3, 2026, in the round of 16. For Jordan, the match ended a first-ever World Cup campaign, with the debutants already out of contention before facing Argentina in a group that also included Algeria and Austria.