Argentina defeat Jordan to top the group

Darwin, 28 June : In the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, defending champions Argentina secured a comfortable 3–1 victory over Jordan, breaking through their resistance. With this win, Lionel Scaloni’s team maintained the top position in Group J and advanced to the knockout stage.

At the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on Sunday, Argentina dominated possession from the start. In the 7th minute, Giuliano Lo Celso found the net from a pass by Julián Álvarez, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

However, Lo Celso made no mistake in the 19th minute. From about 20 yards outside the box, he scored a brilliant free-kick, curling the ball past Jordan’s defensive wall. This was Argentina’s first goal by a player other than captain Lionel Messi in the tournament.

In the 27th minute, Argentina launched another strong attack. Lautaro Martínez’s shot hit the post following a cross from Tagliafico, and the rebound effort from Álvarez was brilliantly saved by Jordan goalkeeper Abulaila. During the same play, Álvarez was kicked by Jordan defender Haddad, and after a VAR review, referee Istvan Kovacs awarded a penalty.

In the 31st minute, Lautaro Martínez doubled Argentina’s lead with a powerful penalty strike. This was his first World Cup goal in nine matches across two editions. Jordan tried to respond on the counterattack before halftime, but strong defending from Marcos Senesi kept them at bay. Argentina went into the break leading 2–0.

Jordan tried to fight back in the second half. In the 55th minute, Musa Al-Taamari scored for Jordan, finishing with a sliding effort from a superb cross by Ehsan Haddad.

With the gap reduced, Argentina felt some pressure, but coach Lionel Scaloni responded by bringing on Lionel Messi, Thiago Almada, and Alexis Mac Allister in a triple substitution.

As soon as Messi entered the pitch, Argentina regained control of the match. In the 80th minute, they earned a free-kick just outside the penalty area. Messi curled a low, precise shot around the wall to seal a 3–1 victory for Argentina. With this goal, he set a remarkable World Cup record by scoring in seven consecutive matches.

Statistically, Argentina dominated the match throughout. They took 13 shots, with 5 on target, while Jordan managed 5 shots with only 1 on target.

Possession also heavily favored Argentina, who held 70% of the ball compared to Jordan’s 30%. Argentina completed 780 passes with a 93% success rate and also led in corners (6–2).