Three days after turning 39, Argentina’s captain came off the bench and delivered yet another masterpiece, becoming the first player in men’s FIFA World Cup history to score in seven consecutive matches. His 80th-minute free-kick goal in Argentina’s 3-1 group-stage victory over Jordan on Saturday night extended his all-time men’s World Cup scoring record to 19 goals.
The record-breaking strike came after Messi was fouled just outside the penalty box. From 25 metres out, he curled a low free-kick that barely skimmed the grass, splitting two Jordan defenders before nestling into the left corner of the net. It was his 72nd career goal from a free kick and his 12th for Argentina.
The streak began during Argentina’s triumphant 2022 campaign in Qatar, when Messi scored against Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands, Croatia and France—including two goals in the final. He carried that form into the 2026 tournament, netting a hat-trick against Algeria, a brace against Austria, and now the historic strike against Jordan.
Before Saturday, Messi had been one of only three players to score in six consecutive World Cup matches, alongside French striker Just Fontaine (1958) and Brazilian great Jairzinho (1970). With this goal, he surpassed both to stand alone atop the record books.
Argentina had already clinched first place in Group J, and Jordan was eliminated from the knockout stage, so manager Lionel Scaloni rested several starters. Messi entered in the 60th minute, replacing Lautaro Martinez, who had scored on a first-half penalty. The pro-Argentina crowd of 70,649 at AT&T Stadium—home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys—chanted his name relentlessly, roaring when he warmed up and again when he stepped onto the pitch.
Messi now has six goals in this tournament, leading the golden boot race by two over Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Erling Haaland. Overall, he has 123 international goals in 202 appearances, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 145.
The knockout stage begins Friday in South Florida. In this expanded 48-team tournament, Argentina faces five matches in 17 days if they reach the final on July 19. At 39, with a hamstring injury behind him and history in his wake, Messi shows no signs of stopping.
“He’s the greatest of all time,” Argentina midfielder Giovani Lo Celso said. “Seeing him every day excites us and infects us. For us, he is everything.”
