Lionel Messi scored on a free kick as a second-half substitute and Argentina delivered a 3-1 World Cup victory over Jordan in the Group J finale for each side Saturday at Arlington, Texas.

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Giovani Lo Celso and Lautaro Martinez each scored goals in the first half for Argentina (3-0-0, 9 points), who were one of three teams to finish with a perfect record in group play along with France in Group I and co-host Mexico in Group A.

Emiliano Martinez did not make a save for Argentina as one of just two returning starters from a 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday. The side outscored their Group J opponents 8-1.

Argentina will face Cape Verde in the round of 32 on Friday at Miami Gardens, Fla., while Jordan (0-3-0, 0 points) were eliminated. Jordan were outscored 8-3 in their first World Cup.

Messi came on as a substitute in the 60th minute for Lautaro Martinez and scored on a free kick through the Jordan defensive wall in the 80th minute for a 3-1 advantage. The score made him the first player to score in seven straight World Cup matches while extending his World Cup record to 19 total goals.

Mousa Al-Tamari scored a goal and Yazeed Abulaila made one save for Jordan.

Lo Celso gave Argentina a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute when he fired a bending left-footed free kick from the top of the penalty area. Lautaro Martinez made it 2-0 in the 31st minute when he scored from the penalty spot after Julian Alvarez was fouled.

Al-Tamari scored for Jordan in the 55th minute off a cross from Ehsan Haddad, cutting the deficit to 2-1. It was the first goal Argentina has allowed in the tournament.

Messi, who turned 39 on Wednesday, nearly scored again on another free kick from a sharp angle to the right of goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.

Austria get late
equalizer to reach the round of 32

Sasa Kalajdzic scored in the closing seconds of second-half stoppage time to give Austria a dramatic 3-3 draw with Algeria in a World Cup Group J match Saturday night in Kansas City, Mo., allowing both teams to qualify for the round of 32.

Austria would have been eliminated with a loss.

Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer also scored for Austria (1-1-1, 4 points), who finished second in the group based on goal differential. The Austrians will face Spain in the round of 32 on Thursday in Inglewood, Calif.

Riyad Mahrez tallied twice and Rafik Belghali also scored for Algeria (1-1-1, 4 points), who advanced based on being one of the top eight third-place group finishers. They will play Switzerland on Thursday in Vancouver.

Had Algeria held on for a few more seconds to secure the win, they would have drawn Spain in the next round while Austria would have been eliminated.

Austria’s late goal ended the World Cup run of Iran, who finished 0-0-3 in Group G. Iran nearly made it through as the eighth-best third-place team.

Mahrez scored his second of the night in the third minute of stoppage time, putting a right-footed shot from just outside the top right of the 6-yard box into the far side netting after a nifty through ball from Houssem Aouar. That goal put Algeria on top 3-2 lead, their first lead of the match.

Austria got the equalizer three minutes later. A cross from the left wing went to Michael Gregoritsch outside the right post. He headed the ball back to Kalajdzic for the tying header from 6 yards out.

Mahrez tied the score at 2-2 in the 60th minute. Aouar drove the ball down the left wing and sent a pass across the goalmouth to Mahrez outside the far post. Mahrez’s left-footed shot from about 8 yards out snuck just inside the right post.

Sabitzer broke a 1-1 tie in the 55th minute. Austria sent a long ball down the right wing for Konrad Laimer. His low cross found Sabitzer alone at the top of the 18-yard box for a one-timer just inside the right post.

Austria opened the scoring in the 28th minute.

David Alaba, from just inside his own half of the field, lofted a pass over the Algeria defense for Arnautovic, who made a perfectly timed run. Goalkeeper Oussama Benbot, making his first appearance in the competition, charged off his line and threw his arms in the air to make himself big, but Arnautovic settled the ball and scuffed a low shot past Benbot from just outside the top of the 6-yard box, the ball crawling over the goal line.

It was the 37-year-old Arnautovic’s 49th international goal, extending his own Austrian record.

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Algeria nearly tied the score twice — Fares Chaibi’s 20-yard shot rattled the right post and Ibrahim Maza’s turnaround from 8 yards was smothered by Austria goalie Alexander Schlager — before getting the equalizer.

England clinches Group L crown with draw vs. Panama

Jude Bellingham broke a deadlock with a goal and an assist in the second half of England’s Group L finale as the Three Lions defeated Panama 2-0 to win the group Saturday in rainy East Rutherford, N.J.

Harry Kane scored England’s second goal and became the nation’s leading World Cup goal-scorer, surpassing Gary Lineker with his 11th tally.

England (2-0-1, 7 points) separated from the pack in Group L as Croatia defeated Ghana 2-1 in the other match. All three teams will advance to the knockout round. England will play Wednesday in Atlanta against a third-place opponent to be determined.

Panama (0-3-0, 0 points) were eliminated before the match began. They sank to 0-6-0 across two World Cups all-time.

Jordan Pickford made two saves to keep the clean sheet for England. Panama’s Orlando Mosquera was credited with four saves.

There was little buildup to England’s 62nd-minute breakthrough. Defender Jarell Quansah was shown a yellow card while on the ground requesting treatment after a reckless challenge on Jose Luis Rodriguez, and play was held up for a few minutes.

But England soon earned a corner kick, and Panama seemed unprepared for Bukayo Saka’s offering. Bellingham had a defender draped on his body as he tapped the ball with his left foot to the near corner with Mosquera unable to make a play.

Just five minutes later, Bellingham connected with Kane on a cross from the left side of the box. Kane hit a classy header to the near post as Mosquera was already airborne diving the other way.

Panama kept pushing in the final 20 minutes, but they struggled to put their shots on target. Ismael Diaz missed a rocket shot wide right in the 90th minute. During stoppage time, Jose Fajardo broke upfield to receive a pass and bury it in the net but was rightly called offside.

The first half was bereft of chances for either side. Panama’s best came in the 27th minute when Rodriguez made a run only for Pickford to stop his shot.

Colombia end up atop Group K thanks to 0-0 draw with Portugal

In a duel of heavyweights, Colombia finished off a 0-0 World Cup draw against Portugal to earn the top spot in Group K on Saturday at Miami Gardens, Fla., with an offside call preventing a potential late winning goal for the South American side.

Colombia (2-0-1, 7 points) were unable to score in the match despite relentless offensive pressure, taking 24 shots to 13 for Portugal (1-0-2, 5 points), who finished second in the group. Colombia logged a 6-2 edge in shots on target.

Camilo Vargas had two saves for Colombia in his second clean sheet of the tournament.

Colombia earned an extra day of rest by winning the group. They will face Ghana in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, after Portugal face Croatia in Toronto on Thursday. Both Colombia and Portugal had clinched advancement to the knockout round prior to the Saturday match.

Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was in the starting lineup for the third consecutive group-play match but was unable to match his two-goal performance from a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan on Tuesday. Diogo Costa recorded six saves for Portugal against Colombia.

Davinson Sanchez appeared to give Colombia a 1-0 lead in the first minute of second-half stoppage time when he scored on a header at the right post, but he was ruled offside on the play. The offside call was confirmed after a video review.

Two minutes later, Portugal’s Rafael Leao fired a shot untouched across the front of the goal that went wide.

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