Messi comes off bench to score as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 and top Group J

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lionel Messi had his World Cup scoring streak snapped by Switzerland on Saturday night, but the co-leader with France's Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot nevertheless found his way to leave his mark with an assist in Argentina's 3-1 victory. The game was only in the 10th minute when Messi — who needed some help from a trainer after a blow near his right eye in the second half — helped to earn a corner kick with some nifty footwork. From there, the Inter Miami star delivered a perfect ball into the box, and Alexis Mac Allister was there to head it home for a 1-0 lead. Switzerland equalized in the 67th minute and the game eventually went to extra time, but Julian Alvarez sent a rocket into the upper corner of the net in the 112th minute and Lautaro Martinez added a closing goal for good measure for the defending champions. Now, Argentina will play England in the semifinals on Wednesday in Atlanta. One of the first questions asked of Swiss coach Murat Yakin before the match was how to stop Messi, who had scored in his last nine World Cup matches, his la

Lionel Messi once again came to Argentina's rescue, scoring a crucial late equaliser as the defending champions mounted a dramatic comeback against Egypt in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash in Atlanta. With the match entering its closing stages, Messi found the net to make it 2-2 after Argentina had trailed by two goals.Egypt had stunned Argentina by taking a 2-0 lead through Yasser Ibrahim in the 15th minute and Mostafa Zico in the 67th. Argentina began their fightback when Cristian Romero pulled one back in the 79th minute before Messi struck four minutes later to restore parity and reignite his side's hopes.The momentum swung in Argentina's favour after Messi's goal and the defending champions went on to take a 3-2 lead as the thrilling encounter entered its final moments. The match remained live at the time of writing with Argentina looking to hold on and book their place in the quarter-finals.Is Messi Playing His Final World Cup Match? Egypt Hold Dangerous 1-0 Lead At HT In Knockout ClashMessi's latest strike also strengthened his position in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot. The Argentine captain now has eight goals in the competition, putting him ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, who have seven each.

Lionel Messi could be just 45 minutes away from bringing the curtain down on one of the greatest FIFA World Cup careers in history, with Argentina trailing Egypt 1-0 at half-time in a dramatic Round of 16 clash at the 2026 tournament. Messi had the chance to restore parity but has his penalty saved. Should the scoreline remain the same, Argentina will be knocked out of the competition. The reigning world champions had a golden opportunity to draw level after Nicolas Tagliafico was fouled inside the box, but Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir brilliantly denied Messi from the spot to preserve his side's shock lead. The miss came after Yasser Ibrahim had headed Egypt in front from Marwan Attia's inviting corner, leaving Argentina facing an uphill battle to keep their title defence alive.The missed penalty added another dramatic twist to a contest few expected to be in Egypt's favour at the interval, leaving Lionel Scaloni's side with a mountain to climb after the restart.Messi's final WC Match?Messi's World Cup journey has been one of remarkable highs and heartbreaking lows. He made his tournament debut in 2006, reached the final in 2014 only to lose to Germany, endured disappointment in 2018 and 2022 before finally lifting the coveted trophy in Qatar to cement his place among football's all-time greats.Following Argentina's triumph in 2022, Messi initially suggested that tournament would be his last World Cup. However, he later left the door open before eventually deciding to lead Argentina's title defence in 2026, extending a legendary international career that has spanned more than two decades. Messi Misses Penalty Again As Egypt Hold Stunning 1-0 Lead Over Argentina | VIDEO Now, with Egypt holding a shock 1-0 lead at half-time, Messi and Argentina face a defining 45 minutes. Another comeback would add yet another unforgettable chapter to his extraordinary legacy, but failure to overturn the deficit could see one of football's greatest icons bid farewell to the World Cup stage in stunning fashion.

India and Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Yashasvi Jaiswal attended Argentina's FIFA World Cup final league stage clash against Jordan. Taking to their official Instagram page, Jaiswal's IPL franchise posted some pics of the dashing left-hander in the stadium watching the match while wearing the iconic white and blue striped number 10 Lionel Messi jersey of the defending champions. Referring to his jersey number 64 for the Indian team, RR posted, "Round of 32 mein humara 64: Present sir"Jaiswal has not been selected for the ODIs against England away from home, which will start from July 14 onwards. During the home series against Afghanistan earlier this month, he got two matches to play, scoring 4 and 110*. He had been roped in as a replacement for an injured Virat Kohli, who missed the series due to a hamstring injury but looks to be on track for a return in England ODIs, having undergone fitness tests in Bengaluru.In six ODIs, Jaiswal has made 285 runs at an average of 71.25 and a strike rate of 97.60, with two centuries and a best score of 110*. Before this, he had a decent stint with RR in their playoff qualification finish, scoring 427 runs in 16 matches at an average of 30.50, with a strike rate of 152.60 and three fifties and a best score of 77*. View this post on Instagram The Argentina team reached Miami for their round of 32 FIFA World Cup against Cabo Verde scheduled for Saturday. Argentina registered a 3-0 win over Algeria to start the campaign, followed by a 2-0 win over Austria and ended the league stage with a 3-1 win over Jordan. In their final league stage match against Jordan, which the defending champions won 3-1, Messi scored a brace.Messi etched another remarkable milestone into football history by becoming the first men's player to score in seven consecutive FIFA World Cup matches.Messi also became the fourth player to score in all three group-stage matches of a single World Cup since the format was introduced in 1998, joining Cristiano Ronaldo (2018), David Villa (2010), and Fernando Torres (2010).Messi's record-breaking streak began with a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina's opening Group J fixture before he followed it up with a brace against Austria.Although rested for the start of Argentina's final group game against Jordan, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner came off the bench in the 60th minute and capped the victory with a trademark free-kick in the 80th minute, extending his unprecedented scoring sequence to seven successive World Cup appearances.The strike also took Messi's tally to 19 FIFA World Cup goals, further extending his record as Argentina's all-time leading scorer in the tournament. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Lionel Messi came off the bench to score his sixth goal of the tournament as Argentina warmed up for their World Cup knockout match with Cape Verde by beating Jordan 3-1 on Saturday. The ageless Messi tops the scoring charts in North America as the tournament heads into the last 32. Cape Verde’s players will be wondering how they can stop Messi when the debutants ranked 67 face the champions on July 3 in Miami. With qualification already in the bag, Messi started on the bench but came on after an hour in Texas to huge cheers to get his side’s third with a free-kick. Argentina finished emphatically top of Group J with maximum points after also beating Algeria 3-0 and defeating Austria 2-0, all those goals coming from Messi. The holders and their 39-year-old talisman look formidable, albeit in one of the weaker groups. Coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi could have played the full game. “But he chose to let his teammates have minutes, he chose to think about what’s coming, and that speaks volume about him,” he said. Giovani Lo Celso, who scored Argentina’s first of the evening, said it had been almost the perfect group stage. “We knew we had very tough opponents, that it wasn’t going to be easy,” he said. “It’s a pity about the goal we conceded today, we would’ve liked to end with a clean sheet. “Still, I think it was a very good group stage. Now the most important part begins. “From now on, it’s about turning the page and thinking about Cape Verde, who will be a very tough opponent.” Fans demand Messi A much-changed Argentina scored in the first half through a Lo Celso free-kick and a penalty by Lautaro Martinez. Mousa Al-Tamari pulled one back 10 minutes after half-time for Jordan, whose first World Cup was already over. Scaloni made nine changes, retaining only goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and forward Lautaro Martinez from the Austria win. Jordan were already eliminated after defeats to Algeria and Austria, rendering the match inconsequential in terms of the tournament. But competition in the Argentina squad is fierce and Scaloni wanted his side to join France and co-hosts Mexico with nine points. Argentina also wanted to make a statement ahead of the meeting with surprise packages Cape Verde as they attempt to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups. The home of the Dallas Cowboys was packed with Argentina fans and their team dominated from the off. Lo Celso got the party started, bending in a free-kick on 19 minutes that goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila got nowhere near having inexplicably moved in the opposite direction. A relaxed-looking Messi smiled broadly from the sidelines. Soon after, the champions doubled their lead when Martinez rifled in a penalty following a VAR review when Marcos Senesi appeared to be kicked in the face as he went for a diving header. Minutes after half-time, the crowd began calling for their captain Messi, the leading scorer in World Cup history. As he stripped off to come on, Tamari stabbed in from close range to pull a goal back and stun much of the stadium. The match felt like a friendly after that, before Messi bent in a tame free-kick with 10 minutes left to go with his hat-trick against Algeria and brace versus Austria.

Argentina concluded their group stage with a perfect record, defeating Jordan 3-1. Giovani Lo Celso and Lautaro Martinez found the net before Lionel Messi, coming off the bench, added a historic free-kick goal. This victory secured Argentina's top spot in Group J, setting them up for a Round of 32 clash against Cape Verde.