Argentina has already secured their spot in the round of 16 and is guaranteed to finish first in Group J after two victories against Algeria (3-0) and Austria (2-0). Consequently, the match against Jordan in Dallas holds only a formal significance for the defending champions. Coach Lionel Scaloni is expected to rotate the squad, especially after Lionel Messi recently admitted feeling fatigued following the win against Austria.

Messi (right) dribbles past goalkeeper Alexander Schlager before scoring Argentina's second goal in their 2-0 victory over Austria in the second match of Group J, World Cup 2026, at Arlington field, Texas on 22/6. *Photo: AP*

Despite this, if the 39-year-old forward enters the game from the bench, he still has the opportunity to extend several milestones. Messi has scored all five of Argentina's goals since the start of the tournament, breaking the World Cup record with 18 goals. Argentina also aims for a perfect group stage campaign, winning all matches without conceding a goal, a feat not achieved since the 1998 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Jordan has been eliminated from contention after losses to Austria and Algeria. The Asian representative still has motivation to conclude their first World Cup appearance in history with a memorable performance against the defending champions. However, the disparity between the two teams is significant. According to the Opta supercomputer, Argentina has a 78,1% chance of winning in 25.000 simulations, while Jordan's winning probability is only 8,7%, the lowest rate among all final group stage matches.

Xuan Binh