Give him half an hour and he will leave a mark that lasts for ever. Lionel Messi’s arrival from the bench had preoccupied the overwhelming majority of those under this vast roof, to the extent that the play before it felt almost self-consciously like a prelude. There was no risk, no edge, to an encounter between two sides who knew their fates so why not bask in seeing a little more history being made?
Messi knew better than to disappoint. He had been wayward with a free-kick after coming on but, when he won a second 22 yards from goal, the outcome seemed predestined. A whip around the wall, an inordinate amount of bend that saw the ball finish in an almost central position, and the Jordan keeper Yazeed Abulaila could only look on. A sixth goal in three games; a 19th in World Cup football; a first since turning 39. Keep track of the milestones and then get ready for more, because Messi just keeps them coming.
The round of 32 begins in just under 15 hours’ time with South Africa v Canada
The group stage is done and dusted, and this is how the last 32 shapes up. The fixtures are listed according to the World Cup bracket, not the order in which they’ll be played.
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Germany v Paraguay
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France v Sweden
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South Africa v Canada
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Netherlands v Morocco
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Portugal v Croatia
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Spain v Austria
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United States v Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Belgium v Senegal
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Brazil v Japan
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Cote d’Ivoire v Norway
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Mexico v Ecuador
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England v DR Congo
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Argentina v Cape Verde
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Australia v Egypt
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Switzerland v Algeria
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Colombia v Ghana
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Full time: Algeria 3-3 Austria
A result that puts both teams through to the knockout stage, but you can’t really accuse them of collusion after a veritable nerve-shredder.
Full time: Jordan 1-3 Argentina
The holders move into the last 32 with another comfortable victory. Lionel Messi came off the bench to score the third goal, his sixth of the tournament and his 19th in a World Cup finals, but never mind all that because AUSTRIA HAVE EQUALISED IN ADDED TIME!
Dear me, what a game.
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90+4 min A late twist in Kansas, where Riyad Mahrez has scored his second goal to make it Algeria 3-2 Austria. I think that means Austria are on the way out and Iran will go through to face Switzerland.
90 min Five minutes of added time.
89 min: Jordan substitutions Mohammad Abu Zrayq and Salim Obaid replace Abu Dahab, who is being stretchered off after a seemingly innocuous collision with Barco, and Ali Olwan.
86 min A shot from Lopez takes a deflection and spins just wide of the far post. The third goal has flattened Jordan, who are 2-1 still had legitimate hope of an equaliser.
82 min Jose Manuel Lopez replaces Julian Alvarez.
That goal takes Messi to 19 in World Cups, three clear of Kylian Mbappe and Miroslav Klose. Fourteen of the 19 have come during the group stage, not that Messi will or should care.
GOAL! Jordan 1-3 Argentina (Messi 80)
Lionel Messi has scored his sixth goal of the World Cup… already!
Messi was fouled 25 yards from goal and there was a sense of inevitability about what happened next. It wasn’t his greatest free-kick, curled low and nowhere near the corner, but Abulaila wrongfooted himself and the ball rolled into the net.
Messi has scored in seven successive World Cup games, another record to add to the list.
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76 min: Jordan substitution Amer Jamous comes on for Nizar al-Rashdan.
73 min A reminder that Argentina will play Cape Verde in Miami on Friday. And they’ll want to play better than this have in the second half of this game.
71 min: Argentina substitution Giuliano Simeone is replaced by Valentin Barco, once of Brighton.
68 min Let’s all enjoy some hydration.
Argentina haven’t really got going in the second half so perhaps the break will do them good.
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65 min Messi curls the free-kick over the wall and over the bar.
64 min Mac Allister is fouled 30 yards from goal by al-Arab, who is booked. Otamendi is over the free-kick.
62 min Algeria have equalised for the second time against Austria.
60 min: Triple substitution for Argentina Lionel Messi, Thiago Almada and Alexis Mac Allister replace Giovani Lo Celso. Lautaro Martinez and Nico Paz.
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57 min Austria are back in front against Algeria, which means Iran are going through as it stands.
56 min Al-Taamari was involved at the start of the move with some neat link play. When the ball was moved out to the right, he headed straight for the penalty box. Good thing he did: Haddad’s cross was impossible to defend and al-Taamari had a tap-in at the far post.
GOAL! Jordan 1-2 Argentina (al-Taamari 55)
A lovely moment from the substitute Musa al-Taamari, who runs onto a devastating low cross from Ehsan Haddad and forces the ball past Emi Martinez! Jordan have now scored in all three games on their World Cup debut.
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55 min Lionel Messi is getting ready to come on. Meanwhile…
53 min: Martinez hits the bar
Martinez has got the taste. He whips an extravagant curler from distance that pings the top of the crossbar, though I think Abulaila had it covered.
51 min Lo Celso plays a cute through pass to Lautaro Martinez, who is shaping to shoot when Abu Taha makes a terrific sliding challenge.
Jordan break and al-Taamari wafts over the bar from the edge of the area. That was halt a chance.
48 min For the second time tonight, Giovani Lo Celso has a goal disallowed. This time it was for offside against Lautaro Martinez, the man who made the goal that wasn’t.
Updated
46 min Argentina get the second half under way.
Double substituion for Jordan Musi al-Taamari and Mahmoud al-Mardi replace Ali Azaizeh and Odeh al-Fakhouri.
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More half-time reading
Some gems in here. I implore you to check out Lefter Kücükandonyadis’s thunderbolt for Turkey against South Korea in Geneva in 1954.
Half-time reading
Half time: Jordan 0-2 Argentina
Argentina Reserves are strolling to victory in Dallas. Giovani Lo Celso’s free-kick was followed by an empathic penalty from Lautaro Martinez, the only outfield player not given a rest in this game.
45+5 min Lautaro Martinez plays a soft angled pass into the area for Alvarez, whose low left-foot shot is blocked at the near post by Abulaila. Good save.
45+3 min Paz, such an elegant player, is fouled on the right wing. Paredes’s free-kick is nutted just wide by the offside Otamendi. He didn’t realise he was offside and was disgusted he didn’t score.
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45 min Five added minutes in Dallas. Meanwhile, for lovers of games with a bit of jeopardy, Algeria have equalised against Austria. If it stays like that, they will play Switzerland in the last 32.
Disclaimer: it may not stay like that.
42 min Nico Paz surges elegantly away from a defender and slides a low cross that is cleared on the six-yard line. He was a revelation with Como last season and will reportedly return to Real Madrid next summer.
39 min Argentina have won all three group games on four occasions: 1930, 1998, 2010 and 2014. Those of you whose brains are 73% water and 27% World Cup memories will note they failed to win the competition on all four occasions. Is it an omen?
Argentina looked so good in 1998 – but then so did France, Brazil, Netherlands, Croatia, even England at times.
35 min A heartfelt long-range shot from Azaizeh is well blocked by Senesi. Moments later, Jordan’s first corner is cleared as far as the onrushing Abu Dahab (possibly – the shirt numbers aren’t easy to make out). His fierce drive from 25 yards is well blocked by Lautaro Martinez.
33 min Marko Arnautovic, the very same, has put Austria ahead against Algeria. They are on course to finish second and face Spain in the last 32.
That goal is also good news for Iran – as things stand, they are through as the eighth best third-placed team.
Updated
GOAL! Jordan 0-2 Argentina (Lautaro Martinez 31)
The penalty is awarded, and Lautaro Martinez sweeps it decisively into the bottom-left corner. Abulaila dived the wrong way.
That could be an important moment in the context of Argentina’s tournament; it’s Martinez’s first World Cup goal since the opening game in 2022.
Updated
29 min Senesi ducked in to the ball and was caught in the face by the boot of the stretching al-Rashdan. This will be a penalty.
28 min Tagliafico’s low cross is screwed against the bar by Lautaro Martinez, who will feel he should have scored. The ball rebounds to Senesi, whose close-range diving header is pawed over by Abulaila. That’s a fabulous reaction save, but it may count for nothing because there’s a VAR check for a possible penalty.
Updated
26 min Back under way.
No goals yet in the other game between Austria and Algeria. You can follow that with Sam Lewis.
23 min Time for the ad break.
GOAL! Jordan 0-1 Argentina (Lo Celso 19)
Giovani Lo Celso scores a classy free-kick on his World Cup debut. The foul was harshly awarded for what looked a good challenge on Lo Celso by Abu Taha, who was also booked. The free-kick was just outside the area, slightly to the right of centre, and Lo Celso curled it nonchalantly into the far corner. It might have gone in anyway, but Abulaila made the gap a lot bigger by shuffling to his left as Lo Celso took the kick.
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16 min “Apropos of nothing, there is a potential Mexico v England match in the Azteca in the last 16,” says Graham Randall. “I would love to be able to make that. My eldest American-English kid has a Mexican-American girlfriend. Her dad is a massive Mexico fan and obviously I am a huge England fan. I guess it’s the American immigrant experience
“Back in 2017 – I won a trip to the Azteca to see USA v Mexico qualifier. Told that eldest kid the night before that we were going (he was 10). As someone whose first World Cup was 1986, getting to go to the Azteca was magnificent. Absolutely everything I ever thought it would be. Complete with all the riot police surrounding the USA away end along with the unidentified liquid thrown when Michael Bradley scored early on
“There was a video on ITV with Jon Champion and Ally McCoist waving lyrical about the Azteca. Is this a British thing about the Azteca?”
I don’t know whether it’s just a British thing, but it’s definitely a British thing. That said, I’m sure plenty of England fans associate it solely with the Hand of God.
15 min Just the 82% possession for Argentina, that’s all.
12 min Simeone wins the first corner for Argentina. Lo Celso takes, Otamendi heads over at the near post. Tough chance.
10 min “When a pal took me to my first American football game, I asked him why anyone would want to play as say, an offensive linesman (a blocker, basically),” says Justin Kavanagh. “Those guys have practically no chance of ever even touching the ball. In the home of the Dallas Cowboys tonight, the players of Jordan must know how they feel.”
Heh. They’ve actually had some decent possession in the last few minutes, though Argentina are still dominant overall.
7 min: Disallowed goal for Argentina Lo Celso, making his first appearance at a World Cup, is fractionally offside when he runs onto Alvarez’s pass and finishes majestically with the outside of his left foot. Nice move, though, and the first time Argentina have opened Jordan up.
Updated
4 min Exequiel Palacios has started at right-back with Giuliano Simeone in front of him. He rarely plays there but Argentina will have so much of the ball that he shouldn’t have to step too far out of his comfort zone.
Updated
3 min It’s like a home game for Argentina when they play in Dallas, and both players and fans are quickly into their work.
1 min Jordan kick off from left to right as we watch.
The match is preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of the earthquakes in Venezuela. It’s abysmally observed by a few clowns and immaculately observed by the majority.
Updated
The draw for the last 32
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Germany v Paraguay
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France v Sweden
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South Africa v Canada
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Netherlands v Morocco
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Portugal v Croatia
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Spain v Austria/Algeria
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United States v Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Belgium v Senegal
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Brazil v Japan
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Cote d’Ivoire v Norway
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Mexico v Ecuador
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England v DR Congo
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Argentina v Cape Verde
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Australia v Egypt
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Switzerland v Iran/Algeria/Austria
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Colombia v Ghana
The ties are listed in bracket order – in other words, Germany and France will meet in the last 16 if they beat Paraguay and Sweden respectively. Somewhere in the world, Patrick Battison sighs.
Other potential crackers including Portugal v Spain (last 16), Germany v Netherlands (quarter-final) England v Brazil (quarter-final), France v Spain (semi-final), Brazil v Argentina (semi-final), England v Argentina (semi-final) and Argentina v France (final).
Yep, I know I’m getting carried away, that most of these games won’t actually happen. That’s what the World Cup bracket is for. Up the bracket!
The last round of Group K matches have just come to an end:
DR Congo are through to the knockout stage for the first time, another historic achievement in a group stage full of them. They will meet England on Wednesday. Colombia’s reward for topping the group is a match aaginst Ghana, while Portugal face a mouthwatering game against Croatia – and then, potentially, Spain in the last 16.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colombia | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | Portugal | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | Congo DR | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Uzbekistan | 3 | -9 | 0 |
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When Shahidul Partha was growing up in Kulkandi, Bangladesh in the early 2000s, many of the villagers watched World Cup matches on his family’s property. Upwards of 80 people piled into his front yard to watch the action on a 14in black-and-white TV, run by battery and one of the only sets in the area. To calm themselves, they sipped on milk tea and ate biscuits. The crowd cheered whenever Brazil or Argentina scored.
“It was a very nice moment and it was like they were playing with the players,” 35-year-old Partha says. He now lives in Hatfield, Pennsylvania and works as a software engineer, as well as a commissioner for the township and other local governments.
“When it is a goal, everyone is screaming loudly,” he says. “Everyone is excited, people are shouting, like: ‘Go, go, make it go.’ Sometimes they give directions: ‘Go this side, go this side.’”
Living thousands of miles away from Bangladesh, Partha continues to root for Brazil because, paradoxically, it reminds him of home.
While Bangladesh’s national soccer team have never qualified for the World Cup, that hasn’t stopped the population’s fervent support of the game. The south Asian nation of more than 170 million people and its diaspora have long supported Argentina and Brazil. The fandom is reflected in its audience: nearly 20% of the traffic to the Guardian’s live blog for Argentina’s opening match with Algeria on 16 June came from Bangladesh.
The knockout stage hasn’t quite been finalised. But it’s fair to say the draw is opening up for Argentina.
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Last 32 Cape Verde
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Last 16 Australia/Egypt
Australia in the last 16 would be a repeat of 2022, Aziz Behich and all that -
Quarter-final Switzerland/Iran/Algeria/Austria/Colombia
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Team news
Odel al-Fakhouri and Ali Azaizeh come into the Jordan side in place of Musa al-Taamari and Mahmoud al-Mardi.
Argentina rest nine of the XI that started against Austria on Monday; the two men keeping their place are Emi Martinez and Lautaro Martinez.
Jordan (3-4-2-1) Abulaila; Nasib, al-Arab, Abu Dahab; Haddad, al-Rashdan, al-Rawabdeh, Abu Taha; Azaizeh, Olwan; O al-Fakouhri.
Subs: Bani Attiah, A al-Fakhouri, Abu Hashish, Abualnadi, Obaid, al-Rosan, Badawi, Jamous, Ayed, Sadeh, Abu Ghoush, al-Dawoud, Abu Zrayq, al-Taamari, al-Mardi.
Argentina (4-4-2) E Martinez; Palacios, Otamendi, Senesi, Tagliafico; Simeone, Paz, Paredes, Lo Celso; Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez.
Subs: Musso, Rulli, Monitel, Lisandro Martinez, Romero, Medina, Molina, De Paul, Barco, Gonzalez, Almada, Mac Allister, Fernandez, Lopez, Messi.
Referee Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
Updated
The Cape Verde head coach, Bubista, said his team have “shown that nothing is impossible” after his side secured a historic meeting with Argentina in the last 32.
Cape Verde became the smallest country by population to reach the World Cup’s knockout stages, and the first debutants since 2010 to do so, after drawing 0-0 with Saudi Arabia in Houston. The result meant they finished second in Group H, a stunning achievement given they were deemed outsiders in a group also including Spain and Uruguay.
Crikey, that flew by. Sixteen days after Mexico and South Africa kicked off the 2026 World Cup, the bumper group stage ends with a Group J double header: Algeria v Austria, which you can follow with Sam Lewis, and Jordan v Argentina in Dallas.
Strictly speaking, this game is a dead rubber: Jordan have been eliminated and Argentina already know they will play Cape Verde in the last 32. But try telling that to the populace of Jordan, who are hoping to win their first point at a World Cup – or to the billions of Lionel Messi disciples across the globe. Messi has been in sparkling form so far, scoring five goals in two games, and leads a goat-studded race for the Golden Boot.
He’ll fancy his chances of extending that lead today, even though he won’t be starting the game. Messi is 39 years old and, if all goes to plan for Argentina, the match against Cape Verde on Friday will be the first of five knockout games in 16 days.
“Leo will most likely come on in the second half,” said the Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni. “We talked and agreed that it was better that way, but obviously it’s also good for him to stay in competitive form.”
And in goalscoring form. At the last World Cup in Qatar, Messi’s seven goals equalled the record for a player who didn’t win the Golden Boot. For a variety of reasons, that record is going to be obliterated at this World Cup.
Kick off 9pm local/12pm AEST/3am BST/10pm EDT
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