Young Algeria attacker Ibrahim Maza was especially bright in the second half and a key to turning the game around after Jordan took a lead into the break. The 20-year-old is all smiles as he speaks after the game …

It was a very, very hard game. You know, they were leading 1-0. But yes, we had the upper hand the whole game. That was my feeling. We were in the half-time break, we said that now we have to do even more. But we have to be patient still, because we had the ball the whole time, and with space and time, we will score. And then we scored two nice goals. We are very happy.

I think these three points now will help us the next game, will motivate us a lot. Like we have confidence now to go the next game, and inshallah, we will win then again.

Algeria’s dominance for much of the second-half is perhaps revealed in the most important stats. The eventual winners had 14-2 shots including 5-1 on target after the break as Jordan were too far on the back foot to turn the game back in their favour once Algeria levelled and were able to call on extra quality off the bench.

Algeria will now face Austria with second spot in Group J up for grabs. The narrow result tonight in Santa Clara means Algeria will need a win in their final group stage match to leapfrog Austria and be sure of progressing to the knockouts behind Argentina who are now locked into top spot. Jordan will end their World Cup campaign in what should still be a memorable occasion against the defending champions.

Jordan midfielder Nizar Al-Rashdan gave his side a moment to remember as they took the lead in a World Cup match for the first time in the 36th minute. But Algeria were in command through the second-half and the pressure finally told with substitute Nadhir Benbouali nodding home to level the scores in the 69th minute, before Amine Gouiri wrapped his right boot around the ball in a goalmouth scramble to claim the lead 13 minutes later.

90+6 min Algeria look comfortable and have time to pop a ball over the top of the Jordan defence for Maza to run on to. A corner for Algeria that goes short with no need to open up the play at this point.

90+4 min Jordan break down the right side and toward the attacking corner flag. But Algeria get numbers around the ball to force the goal kick.

90+2 min Jordan hold on to the ball across the defensive line and into midfield. But there is no clear way into the final third as they move to the brink of being knocked out of the World Cup.

90 min Algeria are banked back now as the game drifts into stoppage time. There will be a minimum of seven added minutes. Jordan need to find a spark.

88 min Algeria slow the game down while still being allowed to edge their way back to within sight of goal. Maza can’t resist taking a shot that is easily collected by the Jordan keeper.

85 min A mass of changes on both sides with Algeria out to hold on to their lead and Jordan needing to swing the momentum back their way. The goalscorer Amine Gouiri and Rayan Aït-Nouri make way for Algeria, while defenders Jaouen Hadjam and Zineddine Belaid come on.

The VAR check is complete and Algeria hold on to their lead. The goal had been coming with Algeria having the opportunity to drop a handful of free kicks into the box. Amine Gouiri’s attacking instincts were enough to take the lead.

VAR check in progress with concerns over an offside leading up to the goal. This could depend on who touched the ball as the mass of players jumped to reach the corner.

80 min Algeria substitute Anis Hadj Moussa makes his presence felt with some trickery and a shot. Jordan keeper Abulaila saves but can’t prevent a corner.

78 min Ibrahim Maza helps get the second half of the second half rolling with an early shot. There isn’t enough behind the strike this time but Maza looks as likely as anyone to score.

77 min Algeria pull captain Riyad Mahrez to bring on the fresh legs and fast feet of Anis Hadj Moussa. Jordan have removed Mahmoud Al-Mardi to call on young attacker Odeh Al-Fakhouri who started their opening game.

Algeria have had eight shots to Jordan’s two in the second half as the Asian side were content to set back and hope to hold their lead. But with the three points again well and truly up for grabs more fireworks can be expected in the remaining quarter of the game.

73 min One of the better strikes we have seen from distance today in Santa Clara as Farès Chaïbi rockets a shot to test Jordan keeper’s glove work. Abulaila collects coolly and that leaves a hydration break calling …

71 min Jordan will surely step out of their defensive third more now as they also need to chase the game. They are immediately on the attack as Mahmoud Al-Mardi fires in a shot that perhaps only ensures that Algeria Zidane is awake.

Algeria had been pressing with multiple free kicks in dangerous areas and Riyad Mahrez able to drop the ball on the head of the towering centre-forward. Nadhir Benbouali was still left with plenty to do as he held his ground and read the flight of the ball best but in the end it was a comfortable header.

68 min Husam Abu Dahab has picked up a yellow card for Jordan.

67 min Abulaila takes matters into his own hands and deals with the second free kick as a strong punch clears the danger.

65 min A free kick deep into the right attacking pocket for Algeria with every player bar the Algeria keeper standing in the final third. Mahrez picks out Maza on the edge of the six-yard box but there must have been a defensive flick on the way through.

64 min Nabil Bentaleb picks out his fellow substitute Nadhir Benbouali outmuscling the Jordan centre-backs inside the penalty area. Benbouali can’t get enough behind his header as the ball takes one bounce and into Abulaila’s gloves.

63 min Jordan look dangerous whenever they get the ball forward with plenty of space to attack into. Noor Al-Rawabdeh blasts a shot from range that flies over the crossbar.

61 min Ibrahim Maza was barely sighted in the first half but has come to life in the second half as he scythes through the midfield and around the right side of the Jordan defence. But the young attacker can’t get his left boot around the shot and the ball drifts wide for a goal kick.

59 min Ali Olwan has been the main danger for Jordan down the right but this time pops up in space on the other side with enough time to pick out Musa Al-Taamari charging into the area. But a desperate lunge is enough to take the ball away for a Jordan throw. The Asian side look just as likely to score as Algeria this half.

57 min Musa Al-Taamari bursts clear and into the penalty area but the chance is closed down before the Jordan can get a shot away. A pair of tough challenges quickly follow that allow Jordan time to set up their defence again.

56 min Jordan are comfortable defending with five at the back to leave Algeria chipping away between the lines without creating much of note.

54 min Algeria finally find a way to pull Jordan out of position just enough to create an opening for Ibrahim Maza to lash a power strike toward the far post. Jordan keeper Abulaila punches clear and Aït-Nouri wastes the rebound as he fires wide.

53 min Algeria search for space between the lines and gaps in the Jordan defence. But anything loose is being pounced on with Jordan desperate to defend their lead.

51 min A free kick for Algeria in a dangerous area and Riyad Mahrez whips in a tempting cross. Jordan keeper Abulaila comes off his line to clear with an emphatic fist.

50 min An early corner for Algeria puts Rafik Belghali in sight of goal but the defender is unable to make anything from the half chance.

48 min A couple of changes for Algeria as coach Vladimir Petkovic looks for a spark as they set out to chase the game. Nabil Bentaleb and Nadhir Benbouali join the action with Hicham Boudaoui and Ramiz Zerrouki making way.

46 min Algeria get the second half under way as they have it all to do with Jordan leading.

Before I head off for my own hydration break, a quick dip into the mailbag …

“For all the praise ITV have [rightly] received here in the UK for their coverage of this WC, their commitment to making it impossible for the colour-blind to know which team is which is incredible,” Ben Goodge is kind enough to relay. “‘What, a tiny, imperceptible slightly coloured line bleeding into a large block of yellow doesn’t help you?’ I’d love to have something more interesting to say, but it’s 4.30 am, this is the 4th game I’ve seen today, and it’s disgustingly hot.

“In defence of the expanded format though, I questioned staying up for this one, but it’s a lot of fun.”

Love the commitment, Ben. Let’s hope the second half can deliver enough to hold your interest. From what we saw from Algeria in the first half, I’m quietly confident it will.

Or if you need a breather from the relentless action on the pitch but are committed to the other unrivalled star of this year’s World Cup, do learn more about Merlin …

Merlin, the pet duck in a mini Mexico shirt who has ⁠become a viral sensation and an unofficial mascot of the World Cup, met Mexico’s president on Monday.

The duck waddled on ⁠to the stage ⁠at the ​start of Claudia Sheinbaum’s regular morning press conference, took a seat where ministers and officials are usually seen, and unfazed ⁠by the occasion, let out a few quacks.

Here is some half-time reading for you with other tales coming out of Group J.

There stood 38-year-old Lionel Messi by the penalty spot, poised for yet another flashbulb moment in a career already overflowing with them. Just a few days removed from his first World Cup hat-trick – one that had thrust him into co-ownership of the all-time tournament goalscoring record – Messi had been gifted an opportunity to notch his 17th goal and stand atop the mountain alone.

Calmly, coolly, he approached the ball. And then he missed the goal entirely.

Algeria had the bulk of possession at 55% to Jordan’s 33% while the remainder was in contest. But Jordan made their time on the ball count for more with 6-4 shots, including 3-2 on target, and crucially the opener to Nizar Al-Rashdan in the 36th minute.

45+3 min Algeria seem content to hold out for half-time even while trailing by a goal. A sloppy long cross to the left attacking thirds ends in a throw-in for Jordan.

45 min Jordan finishing the first half the stronger as the momentum has swung since the opening goal. A minimum five minutes of added time to come.

44 min Jordan launch another attack that forces Ramiz Zerrouki into a desperate lunge that earns the first yellow card of the game.

42 min Jordan stream forward again for Ali Olwan to pick out one of two white shirts cutting through the defensive line of three. The shot goes straight to the keeper but it looked offside anyway.

40 min Algeria hold on to the ball across their defensive line but with little interest in forcing their way forward.

38 min Algeria set out to respond quickly after falling behind against the run of play.

It was chaos in the penalty area as Algeria failed to clear the danger in several attempts and Jordan lacked the finishing touch to open the scoring until a miscue ended at the feet of Nizar al-Rashdan and Luca Zidane could not get enough behind the save. Hardly an all-time classic finish but Jordan take the lead.

35 min Algeria shouts go up for a penalty for a challenge on the left side of the area but the referee waves it away.

33 min Mahrez pounces on to another long ball over the defensive line as the Algeria captain times his run perfectly. A brilliant first touch brings the ball down and into his path but a toe poke is blocked just enough to knock the ball out for a corner.

32 min Jordan deliver a long cross from the left side into the penalty area but Algeria are barely blink with a casual clearance.

31 min Jordan continue to look most dangerous when making their way down their right side but are leaving too much space between their midfield and attack to set up anything of note.

29 min An Algeria corner is just far away from Jordan keeper Abulaila to cause him to second guess how to respond. He eventually commits but gets an unconvincing fist to the ball to leave Algeria in attack. Gouiri fires in a shot from the edge of the penalty area but it is straight at Abulaila.

27 min No changes on either side as the game quickly settles into a familiar position – Algeria in command with the ball but Jordan set up to prevent much more.

Rayan Aït-Nouri is receiving further attention and it’s not clear whether he will be right to continue. That would be a huge blow for Algeria to lose the defender this early.

24 min Jordan attack through Ali Olwan down the right as their first World Cup goalscorer (against Austria) takes an early shot. Algeria keeper Luca Zidane collects comfortably with a dive to his right to leave Musa Al-Taamari waving his arms around and calling for a cross rather than speculative attempts from long range. Time to break for fluids.

22 min Jordan play on despite a Algeria player being down as the referee insists there is no need to stop play for what appears to be a shoulder issue.

20 min Riyad Mahrez is through on goal after a sublime ball over the Jordan defensive line. An exquisite first touch opens up the opportunity but the Algeria captain can’t quite get the ball back out from under his feet and it dribbles away toward keeper Yazeed Abulaila.

18 min Algeria remain patient in possession while Jordan allows them plenty of time on the ball. There is unlikely to be too many counterattacks with Algeria stuck on the edge of the final third.

16 min Rayan Aït-Nouri goes to ground in a tussle with Amine Gouiri and the Algeria defender will need some attention. Nothing to suggest it is too serious though.

15 min Algeria take control of possession but are unable to find a promising entry into the final third with Jordan blocking up the space with two banks of red shirts lined up in a 5-4-1 formation.

13 min Jordan win the ball back deep in their defence and quickly unleash a counterattack. A three-on-one in favour of Algeria leaves Musa Al-Taamari with too much to do and the Jordan striker blazes away from outside the penalty area. A first shot on target.

11 min Algeria attacker Amine Gouiri closes down Nizar Al-Rashdan taking too long on the ball in the midfield as the pressure mounts on Jordan.

10 min Algeria knock the ball around the back to calm things down for a moment before looking for Riyad Mahrez standing on the last line of the Jordan defence. The Algeria captain spins on the first touch but shows a bit too much of the ball to allow Husam Abu Dahab to clear.

8 min Jordan captain Ehsan Haddad has been involved in everything whether defending on the last line or trying to pick the way through the midfield. He finds Ali Olwan charging down the right byline as Jordan earn a throw-in that soon goes to waste.

6 min The first corner goes to Algeria and forces the referee to step forward to stop the push and shove. The sternest word is saved for Jordan defender Nizar Al-Rashdan before his side head clear.

5 min Algeria attack at pace for a second time to force Jordan captain Ehsan Haddad to clear the danger down the right. A lively opening comes as no surprise.

3 min Algeria have woken up just as quickly. Attacker Amine Gouiri collects the ball inside the penalty area and immediately spins to his left to create space and get a shot away. Jordan keeper Yazeed Abulaila watches the ball crash into the side netting at the near post.

1 min An early free kick and an early chance for Jordan. Nizar Al-Rashdan breaks the line for a free header but the powerful strike is always heading wide of the near post.

The players are standing arm-in-arm in between the oversized flags as the national anthems ring out in Santa Clara with kick-off now just a few minutes away.

In the meantime, here is a reminder of the starting XIs for each side.

Jordan: 1 Yazeed Abulaila (gk); 5 Yazan Al-Arab, 3 Abdallah Nasib, 4 Husam Abu Dahab; 23 Ehsan Haddad (c), 21 Nizar Al-Rashdan, 8 Noor Al-Rawabdeh, 20 Mohannad Abu Taha; 13 Mahmoud Al-Mardi, 10 Musa Al-Taamari, 9 Ali Olwan.

Algeria: 23 Luca Zidane (gk); 17 Rafik Belghali, 2 Aissa Mandi, 21 Ramy Bensebaini, 15 Rayan Aït-Nouri; 14 Hicham Boudaoui, 6 Ramiz Zerrouki, 22 Ibrahim Maza; 7 Riyad Mahrez (c), 10 Farès Chaïbi, 9 Amine Gouiri.

Referee: Slavko Vincic

“‘Everything is red, white and green in San Francisco’ must be painful reading for Italy fans in North Beach who are still mourning the absence of gli Azzurri from the tournament and the lack of little Italian flags decorating Columbus Avenue,” writes Peter Oh. A reminder to shoot me an email with your thoughts on the game or perhaps for those forced to watch on from afar.

Conditions are cooling at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium but it is still a balmy 19C as the players make their way to the tunnel with kick-off about 10 minutes away.

Lionel Messi banged in a double and claimed yet another slice of history as the reigning champions beat Austria to book their spot in the knockout phase. Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland have since matched the Argentinian with a pair of goals each to liven up the race for the golden boot between some of the biggest names in the game.

Everything is red, white and green in San Francisco as the fans get loud ahead of the warmups.

The Group I match has wrapped up, Norway hanging on after a late goal from Senegal. Norway’s coach Ståle Solbakken rushed up into the stands behind the dugout the second the whistle blew, finding his partner to celebrate with as his team confirmed they spot in the last 32. And now the whole Norwegian team is sitting in front of the fans joining them for a row.

Jeff Reuter has all the reaction here:

The stadium is slowly starting to fill in San Francisco and the teams have checked out the pitch.

Senegal are creating storm of activity on the field at the New Jersey/New York Stadium but in Philadelphia there was a real live storm that delayed France and Iraq by two hours.

Paul MacInnes was there and reports that despite the interruption in Pennsylvania, France brushed past the physical challenge of Iraq with ease, furthering Kylian Mbappé’s personal duel with Lionel Messi in the process.

Well I was about to write that Senegal are still pushing Norway in the eight minutes of added time left. And they’ve just gone and scored! It’s not over yet in New Jersey.

Allow me to return to Messi briefly. Despite missing a penalty in the 9th minute, the Argentinian captain quickly turned things around to score his 17th World Cup goal later in the first half, passing Miroslav Klose’s goals record.

Pablo Iglesias Maurer writes that there was a moment where “one began to wonder – was this simply not Messi’s day?”

The Algerian and Jordanian teams have arrived. An hour-and-a-quarter to go until kick-off in this one.

There’s a quarter of an hour left in Norway v Senegal in New Jersey. Erling Haaland making things very difficult for Senegal. You can follow the match live with Jeff Reuter:

While acknowledging that the moment was “special”, Messi didn’t let himself get too excited.

Like I’ve said other times, I enjoy playing, having a good time on the pitch.

Earlier today, Messi’s Argentina met Austria in the other Group J match in Dallas.

Messi turned his march into a run and created history with his two goals placing him well clear as the top all-time World Cup goalscorer.

Nick Ames was at Dallas Stadium for the historic moment in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria.

It had to be Lionel Messi, it had to be on this day and perhaps it even needed to be in Dallas too. History was created in the way he knows best, a clinical left-footed flourish setting him out on his own as the World Cup’s highest goalscorer of all time. An occasion that already throbbed with an epic, cinematic quality had its moment for the ages and the genius who served it up will surely provide even more. A first golden boot would not be the worst present for an icon who turns 39 on Wednesday.

Algeria were immediately on the back foot when opening their tournament campaign against reigning champions Argentina and with a certain Lionel Messi on the march toward the all-time World Cup goalscoring record. But Vladimir Petkovic’s side will get a better idea of their prospects of reaching the knockout phase in their clash with Jordan.

Jonathan Wilson has considered what Algeria – as well as the other nine African teams at this World Cup – need to do in North America to justify the doubling of the number of World Cup spots handed to Caf for this edition.

No region benefited as much from the expansion of the World Cup as Africa. In Qatar in 2022, five of the 32 slots (16% of the field) went to the Confederation of African Football (Caf). Of the 48 slots this time around, nine went automatically to Caf, and they secured a 10th when DR Congo beat Jamaica in an interconfederational playoff in March. Caf had lobbied for years for more representation, arguing it was unfair that it had only five slots for its 54 members, while Conmebol, the South American confederation, had four plus a playoff for 10 members (21% of the field). The response was that Conmebol sides had won the World Cup nine times, while Caf sides had only made the quarter-finals on three occasions. By the end of the last World Cup, Conmebol were up to 10 victories and Caf had its first semi-finalist.