Messi scores again as Argentina head into World Cup last 32 on a high

ARLINGTON: Lionel Messi came off the bench to score his sixth goal of the tournament as Argentina warmed up for their World Cup knockout  tie with Cape Verde by beating Jordan 3-1 on Saturday.

The ageless Messi tops the scoring charts in North America as the tournament heads into the last 32.

Cape Verde’s players will have been watching closely with the debutants ranked 67 facing the champions on July 3 in Miami.

With qualification already in the bag, Messi started on the bench but came on after an hour in Texas to huge cheers to get his side’s third with a free-kick.

Argentina finished emphatically top of Group J with maximum points after also beating Algeria 3-0 and defeating Austria 2-0, all the goals coming from Messi.

The holders and their 39-year-old talisman look formidable, albeit in one of the weaker groups.

A much-changed Argentina scored in the first half through a Giovani Lo Celso free-kick and a penalty by Lautaro Martinez.

Mousa Al-Tamari pulled one back 10 minutes after half-time for Jordan, whose first World Cup was already over.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made nine changes, retaining only goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and forward Lautaro Martinez from the Austria win.

Jordan were already eliminated after defeats to Algeria and Austria, rendering the match inconsequential in terms of the tournament.

But competition in the Argentina squad is fierce and Scaloni wanted his side to join France and co-hosts Mexico with nine points.

Argentina also wanted to make a statement ahead of the meeting with surprise packages Cape Verde as they attempt to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.

The home of the Dallas Cowboys was packed with Argentina fans and their team dominated from the off.

Lo Celso got the party started, bending in a free-kick on 19 minutes that goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila got nowhere near having inexplicably moved in the opposite direction.

A relaxed-looking Messi smiled broadly from the sidelines.

Soon after the champions doubled their lead when Martinez rifled in a penalty following a VAR review when Marcos Senesi appeared to be kicked in the face as he went for a diving header.

Minutes after half-time the crowd began calling for their captain Messi, the leading scorer in World Cup history.

As he stripped off to come on, Tamari stabbed in from close range to pull a goal back and stun much of the stadium.

The match felt like a friendly after that, before Messi bent in a tame free-kick with 10 minutes left to go with his hat-trick against Algeria and brace versus Austria.