Lionel Messi has scored five goals in two games at the 2026 World Cup, a start that has already pushed Argentina through as Group J winners with a game to spare. Jordan are next, and the conversation around the match is still being shaped by Messi’s scoring run. He is now the all-time World Cup goalscorer with 18, and he has scored in six consecutive World Cup games.

Messi’s record start

The scale of the start is hard to ignore. Messi’s five goals in two World Cup appearances have put him on top of the tournament scoring charts, and the record edge over Miroslav Klose’s 16 is now part of the story rather than a separate subplot.

Oliver Thomas of sportsmole.co.uk put it plainly: "There are very few superlatives left to describe Messi at this point. He is now the all-time record goalscorer at the World Cup with 18 goals, eclipsing Miroslav Klose's 16 for Germany."

The more telling detail is the run itself. Thomas also noted that, "As he has done in seven of Argentina's last nine World Cup games, he made the difference once again."

That kind of output is why Argentina can come into Jordan vs Argentina with the group already settled and Messi still very much the main attraction. His 9.65 average rating across the tournament backs up what the goals already show. He followed the opening surge with a 9.3 rating against Austria, and a perfect 10 against Algeria.

Jordan and the next selection call

Argentina are through as Group J winners, which leaves Lionel Scaloni with a straightforward question about how much he wants to use Messi before the knockout rounds. Oliver Thomas said Argentina have a good opportunity to rest Messi and other key players to keep them fresh, while James Cormack of si.com said the five goals and two victories mean Argentina are safely through as group winners with a game to spare.

The case for rotation is there, but so is the pull of history. Messi has scored in six consecutive World Cup games, one of only three players to do it alongside Just Fontaine and Jairzinho. Even with qualification secure, that puts the Jordan game in a familiar place for Argentina: they have a practical reason to manage minutes, and a very obvious reason to keep their best player on the pitch.

The selection call now sits with Scaloni before Jordan face Argentina on 28 June.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →