Perfect Argentina: Messi's Goal Sends the Albiceleste Through to the Round of 32

Lionel Messi once again demonstrated his world class on football's biggest global stage. Despite starting the match on the bench, the Argentina captain still managed to find the net and guide the Albiceleste to a 3-1 victory over Jordan in their final Group J 2026 World Cup fixture held in Texas, early Sunday morning WIB.

This win confirmed Argentina completed a perfect clean sweep of all three group stage matches, advancing to the Round of 32 as undisputed Group J winners. The consistent form shown by Lionel Scaloni's squad has further cemented their status as one of the strongest favourites to lift the World Cup trophy.

Notably, Argentina controlled the rhythm of the match from the opening whistle even without Messi on the pitch. Their dominant ball possession left Jordan unable to build any meaningful attacking play, forcing the opposition to spend most of the game defending against sustained Albiceleste pressure.

Argentina broke the deadlock in the 19th minute via a superb free kick from Giovani Lo Celso. Lo Celso's curling strike sailed completely out of reach of Jordanian goalkeeper Yazeed Abu Laila, putting Argentina 1-0 up.

Argentina continued their relentless pressure before Lautaro Martinez doubled their advantage from the penalty spot in the 31st minute. The Inter Milan striker's clinical finish sent Abu Laila the wrong way, as Argentina took a two-goal lead into the half time break.

Entering the second half, Argentina showed no signs of easing their attacking intensity. Lautaro even found the net again shortly after, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.

Against the run of play, Jordan pulled one goal back in the 55th minute. Mousa Tamari finished off a sharp team combination, converting Ehsan Haddad's cross to make the score 2-1 and briefly reignite hope for his side.

The moment the crowd had been anticipating arrived just five minutes later. Lionel Messi was introduced to replace Lautaro Martinez in the 60th minute, immediately becoming the focal point of Argentina's play with his precise ball distribution and intelligent movement in the final third.

Messi was presented with another free kick opportunity in the 65th minute, but his attempt flew just over the crossbar.

In the 80th minute, Messi stepped up for another set piece. This time his powerful, well-placed strike rifled into the corner of the goal, leaving Abu Laila completely unable to react. This goal added another entry to Messi's 2026 World Cup goalscoring tally.

The 3-1 scoreline remained until the final whistle was blown. Argentina closed out the group stage with a perfect record, carrying huge momentum and confidence into the Round of 32.

Austria and Algeria Progress To The Knockout Stages

Elsewhere in Group J, the fixture between Austria and Algeria finished 3-3 at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City. This result saw both sides end on four points, officially securing their places in the Round of 32.

The Austria vs Algeria match played out in dramatic fashion. Marko Arnautovic, Marcel Sabitzer and Sasa Kalajdzic scored for Austria, while Algeria's goals came from Rafik Belghali plus a brace from Riyad Mahrez.

Kalajdzic scored a last-gasp equaliser in the 90+6th minute to seal the 3-3 final score, a result that sent both teams through the group stage.

Austria finished as Group J runners-up, while Algeria advanced via the best third-placed team ranking. This result also officially ended Iran's hopes of progressing from the group stage.