The fans inside AT&T Stadium had been waiting for the moment all evening. They began chanting Messi’s name soon after the second half started and erupted when the Argentina captain stepped onto the pitch, three days after celebrating his 39th birthday.
Messi replaced Lautaro Martinez after Argentina had built a 2-1 lead through first-half goals from Giovani Lo Celso and Martinez. Jordan, already eliminated from the tournament, pulled one goal back before Messi’s introduction.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had been managing a minor hamstring injury suffered with Inter Miami before the World Cup, prompting coach Lionel Scaloni to rest him from the starting XI ahead of the knockout stage.
Messi entered the match as the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals, having scored all of Argentina’s goals in their first two group matches. He struck his first World Cup hat-trick against Algeria before adding his fifth goal in stoppage time against Austria.
The appearance was another milestone for the Argentina captain. It was his 202nd international match and a FIFA-record 29th World Cup appearance. He has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, joining Just Fontaine and Jairzinho as the only players to achieve the feat.
Messi also became the outright leading men’s World Cup scorer with 18 goals, surpassing Miroslav Klose’s previous record of 16. France star Kylian Mbappé is next on the list with 16 career World Cup goals after drawing level with Klose earlier in the tournament.
Argentina, who have already sealed first place in Group J, will next face World Cup debutants Cape Verde in the Round of 32 as they begin their bid to retain the title. Messi is also chasing his first-ever World Cup Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament’s top scorer.
