LIONEL Messi continued his remarkable love affair with the FIFA World Cup by coming off the bench to score yet another record-breaking goal as Argentina maintained their perfect Group J campaign with a comfortable victory over Jordan, while Algeria and Austria produced one of the tournament’s most dramatic finishes to secure places in the knockout rounds.
News Point Nigeria Sport reports that Messi’s latest milestone ensured Argentina completed the group stage with maximum points and will now face tournament debutants Cape Verde in the Round of 32, while an extraordinary six-goal thriller between Algeria and Austria ended with both teams progressing at the expense of an unfortunate Iran.
Having already secured top spot in Group J before kick-off, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni rested several key players, including Messi, who began the match on the substitutes’ bench in Dallas.
Despite the changes, the reigning world champions quickly asserted their dominance.
Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring with a superbly struck free-kick that curled into the top corner to hand Argentina an early advantage.
Lautaro Martinez doubled the lead from the penalty spot after the referee reviewed an incident on the pitchside monitor and ruled that Marcos Senesi had been inadvertently kicked in the head while attempting to head the ball.
Martinez made no mistake, smashing his spot-kick emphatically into the bottom corner.
Although Argentina controlled much of the contest, Jordan refused to surrender quietly.
Ten minutes into the second half, the Jordanians produced an excellent team move, with substitute Mousa Al Tamari finishing calmly after Ehsan Haddad delivered an inviting ball across the face of goal.
The goal briefly raised hopes of a comeback before the stadium erupted in anticipation as Messi was introduced in the 60th minute.
His arrival drew the loudest ovation of the night, and every touch thereafter generated excitement among the supporters inside Dallas Stadium.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner did not disappoint.
With 10 minutes remaining, Messi curled a trademark low free-kick around the defensive wall to restore Argentina’s two-goal cushion and once again etch his name into football history.
The strike was his sixth goal of the tournament, moving him two clear of his nearest challengers in the race for the Golden Boot.
It also became his record-extending 19th World Cup goal and made him the first player ever to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches.
Former England midfielder Danny Murphy praised the Argentine icon on BBC One.
“Simply incredible,” Murphy said.
“He just impacts games.
“He’s so clever, so bright. He’s so aware of what’s going on around him. It’s an absolute pleasure to watch him do what he does.”
Argentina comfortably saw out the contest to preserve their flawless group-stage record and will now face World Cup debutants Cape Verde in Miami on Friday, July 3.
Jordan, meanwhile, bowed out of the tournament.
Elsewhere in Group J, Algeria and Austria served up one of the World Cup’s most dramatic encounters, producing an unforgettable finish that saw both nations secure the point they required to reach the knockout stages while eliminating Iran.
Although both sides knew a draw would guarantee qualification, the match bore no resemblance to the infamous “Disgrace of Gijon” at the 1982 World Cup, when West Germany and Austria played out a result that suited both teams at Algeria’s expense.
Instead, the contest was fiercely competitive from start to finish.
Austria opened the scoring after the first-half hydration break when Marko Arnautovic latched onto David Alaba’s perfectly weighted pass over the top before controlling brilliantly and beating goalkeeper Oussama Benbot.
With elimination staring them in the face, Algeria responded positively.
Fares Chaibi rattled the post with a powerful long-range effort before Rafik Belghali reacted quickest to a loose ball following a rebound off the corner flag, driving into the penalty area and firing home a superb equaliser shortly before halftime.
Austria restored their advantage 10 minutes after the restart when Marcel Sabitzer finished first-time from Konrad Laimer’s intelligent cut-back.
Algeria, however, responded once again within five minutes.
Captain Riyad Mahrez arrived at the far post to convert an excellent cross from Houssem Aouar and level the contest at 2-2.
The game appeared destined to finish level before producing breathtaking drama deep into stoppage time.
After some supporters had begun expressing frustration with boos from the stands, Mahrez struck again in the 93rd minute, smashing an angled effort into the net to give Algeria a dramatic 3-2 lead and seemingly send them through as Group J runners-up.
At that moment, Iran were heading into the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
However, the drama was far from over.
Just 61 seconds after entering the pitch as a substitute, Sasa Kalajdzic rose highest to head home an equaliser in the 96th minute—two minutes beyond the allotted added time—and rescue a 3-3 draw for Austria.
The remarkable goal ensured Austria became the first team in World Cup history to avoid defeat after trailing beyond the 90-minute mark.
The result also meant Iran, who exited the competition unbeaten after drawing all three of their group matches, were eliminated.
Their disappointment was compounded after a late winning goal had already been ruled out for offside following a VAR review in their previous 1-1 draw against Egypt in Group G.
Austria finished as Group J runners-up and will face Spain in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Algeria progressed as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams and will take on Switzerland in Vancouver on Friday.
The dramatic conclusion underlined another unforgettable night at the expanded FIFA World Cup, where Messi continued rewriting football history while Algeria and Austria ensured the race for the knockout stages ended with one of the tournament’s most memorable finales.