Messi becomes first to score in seven straight World Cup games
Lionel Messi became the first player in men's FIFA World Cup history to score in seven consecutive matches when he curled a free kick past Jordan on June 27, 2026. The 39-year-old's strike extended his World Cup scoring streak beyond the previous six-match record and helped Argentina seal a perfect group stage. Messi's 80th-minute free kick capped a 3-1 win in Arlington, Texas, and pushed his all-time men's World Cup tally to 19 goals.
Key Takeaways
- Messi is the first man to score in seven straight World Cup matches, breaking a mark previously shared by Just Fontaine and Jairzinho.
- He scored from a free kick in the 80th minute after entering as a substitute in the 60th minute against Jordan.
- The goal was Messi's 19th at the World Cup and helped Argentina finish the group stage unbeaten with a perfect record.
- Argentina had already clinched Group J before kickoff; Jordan was already eliminated from knockout-stage contention.
How did Lionel Messi score against Jordan?
Argentina faced Jordan in the final Group J match on Saturday night at Arlington, Texas, near Dallas. Messi did not start, with manager Lionel Scaloni resting him after Argentina had already secured the group and Jordan had been eliminated from the knockout stage.
Messi entered in the 60th minute for Lautaro Martinez, who had scored from the penalty spot in the first half. In the 80th minute, Messi was fouled just outside the penalty box and converted the resulting free kick—a low shot that split two Jordan defenders and found the left corner of the net.
According to ESPN, the strike capped a 3-1 victory that completed a flawless group stage for the defending champions.
Why does Messi's seven-match World Cup streak matter?
Scoring in seven consecutive World Cup appearances is unprecedented at the men's tournament. Before Messi's goal against Jordan, only France's Just Fontaine (1958) and Brazil's Jairzinho (1970) had managed six straight World Cup matches with a goal.
Messi's streak spans two tournaments. It began at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he scored against Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands, Croatia, and France during Argentina's title run. He carried that form into 2026 with a hat-trick against Algeria, a brace against Austria, and now the free kick against Jordan.
As coverage from The Athletic noted, the milestone adds to a World Cup résumé that already includes the men's all-time scoring record at the tournament.
What record did Messi break with the free kick?
Messi had equaled the six-match streak with his goals against Austria in Argentina's previous group game. The Jordan free kick moved him into a category of his own at seven consecutive World Cup matches with at least one goal.
The goal was his 19th at the World Cup, extending his lead as the men's tournament's all-time top scorer. At 39, Messi continues to rewrite benchmarks that stood for decades, surpassing a record Fontaine and Jairzinho had jointly held for more than half a century.
What's next for Argentina after a perfect group stage?
Argentina finished Group J with a perfect record, building momentum ahead of the knockout rounds. Messi's latest milestone reinforces why the Albiceleste remain central to the 2026 World Cup narrative even when rotated in a dead-rubber group finale.
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