Lionel Messi came off the bench to score a stunning free-kick and become the first player in history to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches, as Argentina dispatched Jordan 3-1 at AT&T Stadium to complete a perfect Group J campaign.
With the holders already assured of top spot before kick-off, coach Lionel Scaloni made sweeping changes to his starting lineup, handing minutes to fringe players while keeping Messi in reserve.
It did not prevent Argentina from taking control with their familiar authority.
Giovani Lo Celso broke the deadlock in the 19th minute, curling a free-kick with precision beyond the reach of Yazeed Abu Laila to give the South Americans a deserved lead.
It was a goal befitting the occasion, composed, incisive, and almost inevitable.
Argentina doubled their advantage before the half-hour mark when a VAR check confirmed a penalty, and Lautaro Martínez stepped up to convert from the spot in the 31st minute.
Jordan, outpossessed 73 per cent to 27 per cent, were firmly under the cosh.
Jordan did have a moment to remember early in the second half.
Substitute Mousa Al-Tamari, introduced at the interval, tapped home in the 55th minute with an assist from Ehsan Haddad to pull one back and inject rare uncertainty into the contest.
The goal prompted Scaloni to act. Messi was introduced in the 60th minute alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Thiago Almada, a triple substitution that signalled Argentina's intent to kill the game rather than let Jordan's momentum build.
Twenty minutes after his arrival, Messi duly obliged.
Receiving a free-kick opportunity on the edge of the area, the 39-year-old curled a low, precise effort around the wall and into the bottom-left corner, Abu Laila rooted to the spot as the net rippled.
The goal was his sixth of the tournament and his 19th in World Cup history, stretching his own all-time record.
It also made him the first male player ever to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches, another page added to an already incomprehensible legacy.
The statistics underlined Argentina's dominance throughout. They registered 12 shots in total to Jordan's five, held 73 per cent of possession, and completed 735 of 799 passes at a 92 per cent accuracy rate.
Jordan's resistance was spirited, but the gulf in class was unmistakable.
Jordan's night was further soured by three yellow cards, with Mohannad Abu Taha carded early in the first half, Yazan Al-Arab cautioned after the break, and substitute Shararh picking up a booking deep in stoppage time.
