Messi comes on, breaks another record

Captain Lionel Messi came off the bench and scored from a trademark freekick in their dead rubber Group J World Cup clash against Jordan in Dallas on Sunday. With this goal, Messi became the first player to score in seven successive World Cup matches.  

Messi hit a low freekick in the 80th minute, having come off the bench in the 59th minute of the game, soon after Jordan became the first team to score against the defending champions in this edition.

Messi started the game on the bench, but just as television cameras showed him preparing for a cameo appearance, Jordan struck through Musa Al-Taamari in the 55th minute. Messi and Thiago Almada were introduced a minute before the hour mark, before Alexis Mac Allister came on in the 60th minute.

Goalscorers Giovani Lo Celso and Lautaro Martinez, along with Nico Paz, were the players taken off.

Earlier, Argentina had taken a 2-0 first-half lead through Lo Celso and Lautaro, who scored from a freekick and a penalty, respectively. The goals were Argentina's first of the tournament from players other than Messi, who tops the scoring charts with six goals in three appearances and is the leading contender for the Golden Boot. He also leads the all-time World Cup goalscoring list with 19 goals across six tournaments since making his debut in 2006.

Jordan's strike was the first goal Argentina had conceded in this edition after opening the tournament with 3-0 and 2-0 victories over Algeria and Austria, with all five of Argentina's goals in those matches coming from Messi.