馃嚦馃嚘NamibiaSouthern Africa
Messi scores again as Argentina prepare for World Cup knockout stage against Cape Verde
via The Namibian2 min read
Lionel Messi scored his sixth goal of the tournament, coming off the bench to help Argentina secure a 3-1 victory over Jordan. This win concludes Argentina's strong group stage performance, where they finished atop Group J with maximum points, having also defeated Algeria 3-0 and Austria 2-0. Messi, 39, leads the scoring charts in North America as the tournament progresses to the last 32. Argentina, the defending champions, will face Cape Verde in the knockout tie on July 3 in Miami. Giovani Lo Celso and Lautaro Martinez also scored for Argentina against Jordan. Lo Celso commented on the team's strong group stage, acknowledging the tough opponents and emphasizing the importance of focusing on Cape Verde for the next stage. Jordan's Mousa Al-Tamari scored their only goal. Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni made nine changes to the starting lineup, retaining only goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and forward Lautaro Martinez from the previous match. Argentina aims to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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