Here we go: Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 in Arlington to complete Group J with three wins from three and send L. Scaloni through as section leaders. The holders were rarely rushed, yet J. Sellami’s side walked away with their first World Cup goal and a sliver of history.
Scaloni kept faith with a 4-4-2 built around Leandro Paredes’ metronome, while Sellami’s 3-4-2-1 tried to compress the middle and spring Ali Olwan on the break. Mohannad Abu Taha’s booking in the 17th minute summed up Jordan’s early struggle to get near the ball. Two minutes later Giovani Lo Celso arrived unchecked to score in the 19th minute, a sweeping Argentine move finished with minimum fuss.
Control hardened into daylight when Marcos Senesi drew the foul that yielded Lautaro Martínez’s penalty in the 31st minute. Martínez converted to double the lead, and Argentina’s bench could already plan rotation.
Sellami reacted at half-time. Mahmoud Al Mardi and Mousa Tamari came on in the 46th minute and the entire Jordan press lifted. The reward was immediate: Ehsan Haddad slipped Tamari through and the winger scored in the 55th minute, the nation’s first goal on this stage and a jolt that drew a roar far louder than their 27 percent share of possession. Yazan Al Arab’s yellow card in the 64th minute underlined the price of pushing higher but Jordan had finally landed a punch.
Scaloni tightened things within seconds. Thiago Almada and Lionel Messi replaced Lo Celso and Martínez in the 60th minute, Alexis Mac Allister followed for Nico Paz in the 61st minute, and Valentín Barco relieved Giuliano Simeone in the 71st minute. Understandably, the staff wanted fresh legs without disturbing the structure. Jordan ran through their own options, yet Messi remained the difference-maker. He scored in the 80th minute to settle any lingering doubt before Julián Álvarez made way for José López in the 82nd minute.
Late substitutions for Jordan, Saleem Obaid for Husam Abu Al Dahab and Mohammad Abu Zurayq (Shararh) for Ali Olwan in the 90th minute, could not alter the script. Abu Zurayq’s caution at 90+4 closed the disciplinary ledger at three yellow cards for Sellami’s side. Emiliano Martínez did not face another shot on target after Tamari’s breakthrough.
Argentina’s territorial stranglehold told its own story: 799 total passes at 92 percent accuracy, Paredes responsible for 166 of them, and a 2.14 to 0.74 xG edge. Jordan mustered just one shot on target, yet Tamari’s cameo gives them a marker to build on when qualifying resumes. For group context, their neighbours in the table had already clashed in Algeria vs Austria.
Next for Scaloni is a Round of 32 tie with the momentum of eight goals scored and one conceded, plus Messi in full rhythm. Jordan depart without points but with a milestone and a clearer roadmap under Sellami.
Statistics
- Ball possession: Jordan 27 percent, Argentina 73 percent
- Total shots: Jordan 5, Argentina 12
- Shots on target: Jordan 1, Argentina 4
- Expected goals: Jordan 0.74, Argentina 2.14
- Total passes: Jordan 285 (80 percent accuracy), Argentina 799 (92 percent accuracy)
- Corners: Jordan 2, Argentina 6
- Yellow cards: Jordan 3 (M. Abu Taha 17, Y. Al Arab 64, M. Abu Zurayq [Shararh] 90+4), Argentina 0
