Lionel Messi closing in on another scoring record after latest Argentina heroics

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Matthew Judge | Editor

Lionel Messi moved a step closer to clinching another astonishing record after helping Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 at the World Cup.

The 39-year-old continued to defy age and expectations by taking his tournament goal tally to six in Argentina’s final group game on Sunday.

Defending champions Argentina were 2-1 up when Messi emerged as a second-half substitute against competition minnows Jordan.

And the Inter Miami star wasted little time getting into the match, curling home a free-kick just 20 minutes after his introduction in Dallas.

While Jordan goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila will be extremely disappointed with his part in the goal, Messi will not care one bit after capping off a remarkable scoring week in Argentina colours.

Messi closing in on new record after becoming World Cup leading scorer

Messi became the all-time leading scorer at the World Cup when netting a brace against Austria on Monday, surpassing Germany legend Miroslav Klose in the charts.

And the former Barcelona forward inched closer to breaking another scoring record after burying the 72nd free-kick of his illustrious career against Jordan.

According to statistics shared on Reddit, Messi has now tied former Lyon and Brazil great Juninho Pernambucano with his latest free-kick in North America.

Messi is now just six free-kicks short of tying the all-time record, which is held by another former Brazil midfielder, Marcelinho Carioca, who leads the way with 78 strikes.

Ex-Brazil players Jair Rosa Pinto (74, second) and Roberto Dinamite (73, third) make up the rest of the free-kick standings.

Messi hoping to inch closer to record against Cape Verde

While it is highly unlikely that Messi will tie or even surpass the free-kick record at this summer’s World Cup, he will hope to get closer to doing so as the tournament progresses.

Messi and Argentina will face Cape Verde in the round of 32 after the World Cup debutants beat the odds to reach the knockout phase.

Cape Verde - who are the smallest nation to ever emerge from the World Cup group phase - held European champions Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia to three successive draws in Group H.

Argentina meanwhile are in menacing form ahead of their battle with Cape Verde, having won all three of their games in Group J.

In the best individual performance of the group stage, Messi scored a hat-trick against Algeria on 17 June in Kansas City.

And after finding the back of the net against Austria and Jordan, Messi became the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup games.

In addition to Messi’s incredible form, Giovani Lo Celso and Lautaro Martinez have also scored for Argentina at this year's World Cup, with both players bagging goals in the win over Jordan.

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