Messi becomes first to score in 7 straight World Cup games

Lionel Messi added another line to his unmatched World Cup resume on Saturday night, coming off the bench to score a free kick in the 80th minute against Jordan, becoming the first player in history to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches as Argentina cruised to a 3-1 victory at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.espn+2

A Record Built Across Two Tournaments

The goal, Messi's 19th in World Cup history, extended his own all-time scoring record and capped a group stage in which the 38-year-old has been nearly unstoppable. He entered the 2026 tournament having scored in his final two matches of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — a penalty and an extra-time goal in the final against France — and has now found the net in all three group-stage matches in the United States.sports.yahoo

Messi's six goals through three games this tournament came on the back of a hat trick against Algeria in the opener and a brace against Austria that saw him surpass Miroslav Klose's previous record of 16 career World Cup goals. Against Jordan, introduced as a substitute, he curled a free kick past the wall to seal the result and etch his name further into the record books.usnews+3

Argentina Perfect in Group J

Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring in the 19th minute before Lautaro Martínez converted a penalty shortly after to give Argentina a comfortable halftime lead. Mousa Al-Tamari pulled one back for Jordan in the 55th minute, but Messi's late intervention ensured the defending champions finished with a perfect nine points from three matches.espn+1

The match was effectively a dead rubber, with Argentina having already clinched the top spot in Group J after wins over Algeria and Austria, while Jordan had been eliminated following defeats to both teams.espn

Cape Verde Await in the Round of 32

Argentina will now face Cape Verde, the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup knockout rounds, in a round-of-32 match scheduled for July 3 in Miami. Cape Verde, making their tournament debut, qualified as runners-up in Group H after a draw against Saudi Arabia.espn+2

Whether Messi can extend his streak to eight consecutive World Cup matches with a goal will be among the storylines when the knockout phase begins.