Argentina's Giovani Lo Celso waited 8 years for World Cup goal: 'A long journey'

ARLINGTON, Texas – Lionel Messi made history in Argentina’s 3-1 win over Jordan to close the group stage, setting a World Cup record with a goal in seven consecutive appearances. It was an irregular starter in the midfield that stole the show, though.

Giovani Lo Celso, finally making his first World Cup appearance, has experienced hardship with the national team the past few cycles, missing out on the tournament in 2022 due to injury and playing zero minutes with the 2018 squad. 

The man of the match didn’t squander his opportunity on Friday, June 27, scoring a 19th-minute goal on a left-footed screamer from outside the box on a free kick. 

It was a long-time coming for the 30-year-old Real Betis standout. Even Messi couldn’t help but smile.

“Sooner or later, I think the work pays off,” Lo Celso said after the match. “Honestly, there are a lot of things I went through during all those years. It was a long journey, but tonight was much more than I even hoped for and dreamed. I'm very thankful to the coaching staff, my teammates and my family.”

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni echoed a similar sentiment.

“He missed out on the World Cup in a very difficult way,” Scaloni said through a translator. “... Although he wasn’t at the Qatar World Cup, he was with us, he supported us. This is an attitude that we cannot forget. I wanted to give him the opportunity to play and he played well and scored a goal.”

Argentina opted for a starting group featuring numerous typical substitutes like Lo Celso, although Lautaro Martinez, a typical starter, remained. The 28-year-old has started each of Argentina’s three group stage wins against Algeria, Austria and Jordan, and has been a go-to forward for Scaloni, despite entering the matchup– somehow – without a World Cup goal in his career.

But when the Inter Milan star converted a penalty kick in the 31st minute, it was the first time a non-Messi Argentine player had even attempted a penalty at the World Cup since June 12, 2002, when Ariel Ortega missed against Sweden in a 1-1 draw during the group stage.

He stepped up to the occasion against Jordan a few moments later, becoming Argentina’s first penalty-kick scorer at the World Cup other than Messi since 1998, when Gabriel Batistuta scored in a penalty shootout win over England in the Round of 16.

World Cup goals are hard to come by, especially when Messi is on a heater like he has been this tournament. The legendary attacker broke a record with a goal in seven consecutive World Cup appearances against Jordan, raising his total to six at the tournament this year. 

Lo Celso and Martinez’s goals were Argentina’s first of the tournament other than Messi, who also scored seven of Argentina’s 13 total goals at the 2022 World Cup. They both had multiple other chances, too, with Lo Celso finding the net in the seventh and 47th minute before Argentina was called offside. Martinez also hit the crossbar on two separate occasions.

Ultimately, no one will remember the missed chances in a mostly low-stakes match to end group play. But it was a night of firsts for two Argentines, one used to starting in big moments and another making his first cap at the World Cup. 

Lo Celso will never forget what he has been waiting over eight years for, though.

I've been waiting for this moment for a long time,” Lo Celso said. “I dreamed about it a lot, and I think today was more than I could've imagined or dreamed. So, I'm very thankful to the people I mentioned before and, obviously, your family sustains you. 

“They suffer in the bad times and enjoy it most in the good.”