Argentina Thrives Without Messi as They Cruise Past Jordan at the World Cup

June 27, 2026

As Argentina captain Lionel Messi made his way to an unfamiliar spot — the substitutes’ bench — for the start of their final Group J match against Jordan on Saturday night, fans inside Dallas Stadium chanted his name.

With the team already guaranteed top spot in the group, manager Lionel Scaloni decided to rest key players and give others a chance to shine. Messi was among those on the bench, while a mix of experienced and younger talents took the field.

Giovani Lo Celso, Giuliano Simeone, Nico Paz, and Marcos Senesi all made their World Cup debuts. Veterans like Nicolás Otamendi (38) and Nicolás Tagliafico (33) helped balance the side’s age.

“Today was about giving minutes to players who can fill different roles and avoiding unnecessary risks,” Scaloni said afterward.

The plan worked perfectly. Argentina dominated from the start and ran out comfortable 3-1 winners.

By the 10th minute, they had controlled 83% of possession. Lo Celso opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a beautifully struck free kick from just outside the box — a position usually reserved for Messi.

Lautaro Martínez doubled the lead from the penalty spot before halftime, celebrating his first World Cup goal with visible relief.

Messi eventually entered the game in the 60th minute and added his trademark free-kick goal, bringing the crowd to life and extending his personal World Cup scoring record to 19.

The victory showed that Argentina can perform well even without their captain on the pitch from the beginning. They now head into the round of 32 against Cape Verde with confidence and squad depth.

Scaloni can take satisfaction knowing his team has options if opponents manage to contain Messi — something few have achieved so far.