Lionel Messi strengthened his lead in the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot after scoring once to help Argentina close out the Group J stage with a 3-1 victory over Jordan at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, June 28, 2026.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni opted to rest Messi by leaving him out of the starting lineup. The Argentine captain came on in the 60th minute to replace Lautaro Martínez, with the defending champions already leading 2-1.
Argentina’s opening goals were scored by Giovani Lo Celso in the 19th minute and Martínez in the 31st. Jordan briefly reduced the deficit through Musa Al-Taamari in the 55th minute.
Scaloni later introduced Messi, Alexis Mac Allister, and Thiago Almada to add more attacking power. The decision paid off when Messi sealed the victory in the 80th minute with a perfectly executed free kick that curled over Jordan’s defensive wall and beat goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila.
The goal was Messi’s sixth of the tournament, extending his lead in the race for the Golden Boot. He now holds a two-goal advantage over several of his closest challengers, including Ousmane Dembélé, who made history by scoring a first-half hat-trick in France’s 4-1 victory over Norway in their final group-stage match.
The win secured Argentina the Group J title with a perfect record. The defending champions advanced alongside Austria and Algeria, who also qualified for the Round of 32.
In the Round of 32, Argentina will face Group H runners-up Cape Verde. Austria, who drew 3-3 with Algeria in their final group match, finished as Group J runners-up and will meet Group H winners Spain. Algeria, which advanced as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams, will take on Group B champions Switzerland.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the victory over Jordan was especially valuable because his team can now fully focus on the knockout stage.
He added that he had discussed the decision to leave Messi on the bench before the match.
“I spoke with Leo, and we agreed that coming on as a second-half substitute was the best decision. It shows just how important he is to this team,” Scaloni said.
He added that Messi’s impact off the bench proved decisive for Argentina, noting that he made nine changes to his starting lineup.
Proud Finish
Meanwhile, Colombia head coach Néstor Gabriel Lorenzo expressed pride after his team secured first place in Group K by holding Portugal to a scoreless draw in their final group-stage match.
He praised his team’s performance against a strong Portuguese side led by Cristiano Ronaldo and several other star players, saying it provides valuable momentum ahead of their Round of 32 clash with Ghana.
“Against Portugal, we created many chances, but in the knockout stage every missed opportunity can prove costly,” Lorenzo said.
The draw allowed Colombia to finish top of the group with seven points, while Portugal finished second with five points.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo finished third and advanced to the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez remained satisfied despite finishing as the group runners-up.
He said his team had focused solely on achieving the best possible result without worrying about potential opponents in the knockout stage.
Martínez added that the group-stage campaign still provided many positives, particularly in terms of the players’ commitment and execution of the team’s game plan.
“Going forward, we still need to improve several aspects of our play,” he said.
A Celebration Before the Knockout Stage
In Group L, England head coach Thomas Tuchel said his players should take time to celebrate after securing first place in the group with a 2-0 victory over Panama.
According to Tuchel, the achievement deserves recognition before the team shifts its focus to the Round of 32.
England’s goals were scored by Jude Bellingham in the 62nd minute and Harry Kane in the 67th.
Kane’s goal also made history, as he surpassed Gary Lineker to become England’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with 11 goals, one more than Lineker’s previous record.
“The tournament begins again in the knockout stage. Now we will recover our energy and build on what we have achieved as we prepare for the next match,” Tuchel said.
He emphasized that England’s strong group-stage performance would serve as valuable momentum heading into the knockout rounds.
The Three Lions will face the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Round of 32.
England will be joined in the knockout stage by Croatia and Ghana.
Croatia secured qualification after defeating Ghana 2-1.
Nikola Vlašić scored the decisive goal in the 83rd minute after Petar Sučić had given Croatia the lead in the 31st minute.
Ghana’s only goal came through a header from Derrick Luckassen in the 73rd minute.***
