Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni said he is completely out of superlatives for Lionel Messi after the talismanic captain became the first player in history to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches during La Albiceleste’s 3-1 victory over Jordan.

The 39-year-old superstar came off the bench on the hour mark at Dallas Stadium, leaving it late to curl home an exquisite 80th-minute free-kick. The strike officially broke the tournament scoring streak record Messi previously shared with football icons Just Fontaine and Jairzinho, taking his current tournament tally to a golden-boot-leading six goals.

When pressed on his captain’s seemingly eternal greatness, Scaloni confessed to feeling a bit stumped.

“It’s a little bit of an uncomfortable situation when people ask me that and I don’t know what to say,” Scaloni admitted.

“Today he could’ve played 90 minutes and, without undermining our opponent, he wanted his team-mates to have time on the pitch and to save himself for what’s coming up.

“He doesn’t think so much about the numbers that people are talking about. The only word that comes to mind is that I’m surprised.”

Champions Coast Into Knockout Rounds

Messi’s late brilliance put the finishing touches on a dominant display from the reigning champions. Argentina cruised into the break with a comfortable two-goal cushion courtesy of a Giovani Lo Celso free-kick and a clinical Lautaro Martinez penalty.

Remarkably, those first-half strikes marked the first goals scored by an Argentine player other than Messi at this World Cup.

With qualification already secured, Scaloni made nine adjustments to his starting XI, and was quick to praise his squad’s depth ahead of the business end of the tournament.

“It’s a very positive opinion that I have, especially as I was able to include all the players, this was a goal we always set for ourselves,” Scaloni said.

“I believe all of them deserve to enjoy coming to a World Cup and playing at a World Cup and we were able to give them minutes. I think they played quite well in a difficult match.

“They showed me today that I can count on them.”

Warning Ahead of Cape Verde Clash

Argentina now march on to Miami for a Round of 32 showdown against tournament debutants Cape Verde. Despite entering the match as heavy favourites, Scaloni insists his side will not be caught slipping against the ultimate underdogs.

“Based on what I’ve seen, I’m not surprised,” Scaloni said regarding Cape Verde’s historic knockout run.

“They’re a good team, they have made it very difficult for the three opponents they have played. Spain couldn’t beat them, Uruguay couldn’t either. They’re a fast team, they play well with a high calibre of play. I can guarantee you they’re a team that’s going to make it difficult for us.”

Golden boot standings after the group stage

• 6 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
• 4 – Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele (France); Vinicius Jr (Brazil), Erling Haaland (Norway)
• 3 – Deniz Undav (Germany), Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), Harry Kane (England) + seven others