\n Argentina vs Jordan Saturday Night \u2013 Dallas Stadium | Image by Bares Deportivos @BaresDeportivos\/X <\/p>\n
Arlington will host its fifth and final group-stage match of the summer on Saturday night, as World Cup record-holder Lionel Messi and defending champion Argentina take on Jordan in a Group J finale at Dallas Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. CT.<\/p>\n
Argentina enters the match sitting atop Group J standings<\/a> with a perfect six points from two wins, while Jordan sits at the bottom with zero points from two losses, per FIFA. With Argentina already through as group winners and Jordan already eliminated, the stakes couldn\u2019t be lower on paper \u2013 but history is still on the line, as the two nations have never faced each other.<\/p>\n Lionel Messi has become the leading scorer in men\u2019s World Cup history during the tournament, as previously covered by DX<\/a>, netting five goals across Argentina\u2019s opening two matches. Messi recorded his 17th and 18th career World Cup goals in the 2-0 victory over Austria at Dallas Stadium, surpassing Germany\u2019s Miroslav Klose, who had held the record at 16.<\/p>\n The milestone added another chapter to Messi\u2019s 20-year World Cup story, which began on June 16, 2006, when an 18-year-old Messi scored his first World Cup goal off the bench against Serbia and Montenegro. Two decades later, he opened the 2026 tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria and scored two more against Austria.<\/p>\n In the Austria game, he missed an early penalty but responded with a left-footed finish in the 38th minute and sealed the win deep in stoppage time.<\/p>\n Manager Lionel Scaloni has leaned on a familiar core, with Emiliano Mart\u00ednez, Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez, Thiago Almada, and Lautaro Mart\u00ednez. With qualification secured and group position locked in, Scaloni faces a tough decision on Saturday: does he rest key players ahead of the knockout rounds, or let his stars continue to build rhythm and momentum?<\/p>\n Jordan\u2019s Historic Debut<\/p>\n