Lionel Messi scored on a free kick as a second-half substitute and Argentina delivered a 3-1 World Cup victory over Jordan in the Group J finale for each side Saturday at Arlington, Texas.
Giovani Lo Celso and Lautaro Martinez each scored goals in the first half for Argentina (3-0-0, 9 points), who were one of three teams to finish with a perfect record in group play along with France in Group I and co-host Mexico in Group A.
Emiliano Martinez did not make a save for Argentina as one of just two returning starters from a 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday. The side outscored their Group J opponents 8-1.
Argentina is scheduled to face Cape Verde in the round of 32 on Friday at Miami Gardens, Fla., while Jordan (0-3-0, 0 points) were eliminated. Jordan were outscored 8-3 in their first World Cup.
Messi came on as a substitute in the 60th minute for Lautaro Martinez and scored on a free kick through the Jordan defensive wall in the 80th minute for a 3-1 advantage. The score made him the first player to score in seven straight World Cup matches while extending his World Cup record to 19 total goals.
Mousa Altamari scored a goal and Yazeed Abulaila made one save for Jordan.
Lo Celso gave Argentina a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute when he fired a bending left-footed free kick from the top of the penalty area. Lautaro Martinez made it 2-0 in the 31st minute when he scored from the penalty spot after Julian Alvarez was fouled.
Altamari scored for Jordan in the 55th minute off a cross from Ehsan Haddad, cutting the deficit to 2-1. It was the first goal Argentina has allowed in the tournament.
Messi, who turned 39 on Wednesday, nearly scored again on another free kick from a sharp angle to the right of goal in the 91st minute.
Meanwhile in another Group J game, Austria and Algeria played to a thrilling 3-3 draw Saturday night in what amounted to a win-win result in their World Cup group-stage finale, allowing both to advance to the knockout round while eliminating Iran from the tournament.
The game was tied 2-all in the closing minutes, and Algeria looked as if it was content to run out the clock, when Riyad Mahrez scored his second goal with about a minute left in stoppage time. That put Austria on the verge of elimination, only for Sasa Kalajdzic to head in the equalizing goal moments later and rescue Das Team’s World Cup hopes.