Messi's free-kick advances Argentina to next round

Argentina have finished their World Cup group matches with a perfect winning record after beating Jordan 3-1 in Texas.

Forward Lionel Messi came off the bench to score his sixth goal of the tournament. This win means Argentina finish at the top of Group J. They will now play their next match against Cape Verde on 3 July in Miami.

Manager Lionel Scaloni decided to rest most of his regular players because Argentina had already secured their spot in the next round before the game started. He made nine changes to the starting team. Only Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Forward Lautaro Martinez kept their spots from the last game.

Even with the changes, the team played very well from the start. Midfielder Giovani Lo Celso scored the first goal with a great free-kick in the 19^th minute. The goalkeeper, Yazeed Abulaila, moved the wrong way and could not stop it. Soon after, Forward Lautaro Martinez scored a penalty kick to make the score 2-0. The referee gave the penalty after watching a video replay that showed a foul on Defender Marcos Senesi.

Fans calls out for Messi

Jordan, who were already out of the tournament after losing their first two games, fought back in the second half. Forward Mousa Al-Tamari scored a goal from close range just ten minutes after the break to make the score 2-1.

Right around that time, the massive crowd inside the stadium began shouting for Forward Lionel Messi to enter the game. The star player came onto the field for the final thirty minutes to huge cheers. With ten minutes left in the match, Forward Lionel Messi secured the win by scoring a simple free kick.

This goal keeps Forward Lionel Messi as the top scorer in the tournament, adding to the three goals he scored against Algeria and the two goals he scored against Austria.

Ready for the Next Round

Speaking after the game, Midfielder Giovani Lo Celso said the team had an excellent group stage, but he knows the hardest part of the tournament is starting now. He added that the team is fully focused on their next game against Cape Verde, which they expect to be a tough opponent.

Argentina are trying to become the first country to win two World Cups in a row since Brazil did so in 1962. With their star players in excellent form, the defending champions look ready for the knockout games.