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Argentina forward Lionel Messi (10) waves to the crowd after winning a FIFA World Cup Group J soccer match against Jordan at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, TX, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News)
ARLINGTON — If this wasn’t already Lionel Messi’s world, it certainly is Lionel Messi’s World Cup, and he has made the most of his two games played at what we shall briefly call Dallas Stadium.
After opening the World Cup with a hat trick in a 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City, Messi became the all-time leading goal scorer in World Cup play here Monday against Austria with his 17th (and later his 18th) goals in a 2-0 win.
Technically, Saturday’s late game against Jordan meant nothing in terms of when and where Argentina will play its first game in the knockout stage. Same for Jordan flying home this weekend after its initial World Cup experience. But try telling 70,000 soccer fans that an Argentina game means nothing or that, even with the announcement that Messi would not start, it was a night of soccer insignificance here Saturday.
There was also the fair question to ask of who or whom might score goals for the defending World Cup champs since Messi had all five in the first two games.
As it turned out, Argentina does have other capable scorers with Giovani Lo Celso scoring on a free kick, a wicked hook that froze the Jordanian goalkeeper and maybe served as a bit of foreshadowing for later. Lautaro Martinez scored on a penalty kick for a 2-0 halftime lead.
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Argentina players celebrate around midfielder Giovani Lo Celso after he scored on a free-kick from the top of the box during the first half of a World Cup Group J soccer match against Jordan on Saturday, June 27, 2026, in Arlington.during the first half of a World Cup Group J soccer match on Saturday, June 27, 2026, in Arlington. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)
By the time Messi entered the game at the 60-minute mark, it was a 2-1 game as Jordan had prevented Argentina from leaving the group stage with three clean sheets. But after getting tripped up and earning a free kick from 24 meters out, Messi hooked one around the Jordanian wall of defenders that again gave the goalkeeper no chance of making a play on the ball.
While it’s true that Messi, who turned 39 this week, has been atop the soccer world for most of his career, leaving Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo in the dust in the argument for best in the sport years ago, bear in mind that what Messi has done in the last two World Cups is exceptional by his own standards. The man scored six goals in his first four World Cups. He was a magical player, but he wasn’t yet known for owning the biggest stage — one reason that Argentina had last won a World Cup with Diego Maradona and the whole “Hand of God” thing against England 40 years ago.
But Messi scored seven goals in Qatar when Argentina ended its long run of World Cup silence. Now it seems there is little stopping him or his team. Maybe Group J wasn’t exactly the Group of Death, but outscoring opponents 8-1 in the last 11 days, the champs are displaying no sign of weakness.
Beyond that, they owned this stadium in a way Cowboys owner Jerry Jones only wishes his team could in a major game. Any visit from a Dallas rival of consequence brings out 15,000-20,000 visiting jerseys. Late Saturday night, though, the place was basically filled with something just shy of 70,000 Messi jerseys.
Related:Inside Lionel Messi Inc.: Whatever the soccer star touches turns to gold
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Fans cheer as Argentina forward Lionel Messi (10) and teammates celebrate after scoring on a free kick during the second half of a FIFA World Cup Group J soccer match between Argentina and Jordan at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, TX, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News)
It has been a long time coming for Argentina to reach this level, and the team doesn’t seem interested in letting go. South America has actually stood atop the soccer world for a full century but Argentina had to wait its turn for more than half of that. It’s Uruguay that gets to wear four stars on its jersey, emblematic of four championships even if the first two (1924 and 1928) were Olympic Gold Medals that predated the World Cup. FIFA recognizes those victories along with the 1930 and 1950 Cups.
Then it was Brazil’s turn, from Ademir to Pele to Ronaldo, to capture five World Cups over an extended period. Argentina finally broke through in 1978 and then won again with Maradona as captain in 1986. Yet something about those teams has been viewed as unrealized potential. Or as the great Pele said of Maradona, “My main doubt is whether he has sufficient greatness as a person to justify being honored by a worldwide audience.’’
Maradona was 21 at the time. But he would have really struggled in a social media era with his admitted cocaine use and affairs.
Messi flies above it all, even if he usually looks like the shortest player on the field and perhaps one of the least athletic. But goal scoring is unrelated to 40-yard dash times, even if France’s Kylian Mbappe (who might track down Messi in World Cup goals by 2030) could lay down a good one. No one has a better grasp of space or how to position teammates to consistently deliver knockout blows than Messi.
Other soccer greats are on their way to town.Norway’s massive Erling Haaland — sort of the anti-Messi at 6-foot-5 — will try to Viking row his team into the Round of 16 here Tuesday afternoon against an upstart Ivory Coast team. Then Egypt’s Mohamed Salah will lead the Pharaohs against the Socceroos of Australia on Friday afternoon.
Two more games will follow including a World Cup semifinal here July 14. Historic moments are virtually guaranteed. But the Messi Show has moved on to Miami, which should be familiar for him since the game’s greatest now serves as captain for Inter Miami in the MLS.
All I know is that he and Argentina’s massive fan base, forever locked in song, aren’t going anywhere quietly any time soon.
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