World Cup 2026/ Jordan 0-2 Argentina: La Albiceleste cruises without Messi at halftime

27.06.26 FT World Cup

Jordan

1

:

Argentina

3

Argentina put on a commanding display in the opening half against Jordan. Without Lionel Messi, who was rested, La Albiceleste already leads 2-0 at the break thanks to Giovani Lo Celso and Lautaro Martínez, solidifying their impressive dominance in Group J.

Even with Messi left out of the starting lineup, Argentina gave Jordan no chance in Dallas. As early as the 7th minute, Lo Celso had a goal ruled out for offside, but he made amends in style in the 19th minute with a stunning left-footed free kick, leaving Jordanian goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila completely rooted to the spot. The world champions took a commanding 1-0 lead with remarkable ease.

Read also: 2026 World Cup / Jordan - Argentina: the official lineups!

Lautaro adds to the tally from the penalty spot

Argentina's dominance didn't stop there. After a big save from Abulaila against Nico Paz, VAR awarded a penalty to La Albiceleste. Lautaro Martínez stepped up with ice-cold composure, sending the keeper the wrong way to make it 2-0 before halftime.

The statistics alone tell the story of the gulf between the two sides: Argentina attempted 220 passes in the first 25 minutes compared to just 58 for Jordan. But perhaps most impressive is that La Albiceleste achieved all this without their captain, Lionel Messi, who was given a rest by Scaloni for this final group stage match.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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