Argentina defeated Iceland 3-0 in their final warm up match against Iceland in Alabama.
The defending champions sign off their World Cup preparations in style, with a vintage Messi cameo stealing the show in Auburn
He needed just 20 minutes. Lionel Messi, the greatest footballer who ever lived, stepped off the bench at Jordan-Hare Stadium and reminded the watching world exactly why Argentina go into the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the team everyone must beat.
After recovering from a muscle injury, the captain of the reigning world champions played 20 minutes and scored a penalty in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Iceland — their final tune-up match before the World Cup. The defending champions head into the tournament in ominous form.
Messi had missed Argentina’s 2-0 friendly victory over Honduras on June 6, recovering from muscle fatigue and a slight strain in his left hamstring suffered in his last appearance with Inter Miami on May 24. There were no lingering concerns on show on Tuesday night.
Just days before his 39th birthday and his sixth World Cup, Messi came on in the 70th minute and scored a penalty kick after Lautaro Martínez was fouled inside the area. Characteristically calm, he dispatched the spot-kick without a flicker of doubt.
With the strike, Messi inflated his staggering international tallies to 117 goals and 61 assists in 198 caps, while simultaneously reaching 911 all-time career goals. As if the records could keep getting more extraordinary — they always do.
By finding the back of the net against Iceland, Messi also became the oldest player ever to score a goal for the Argentina national team.
Argentina were already in control long before their captain took to the field. Valentín Barco broke the deadlock in the eighth minute with a brilliant strike from outside the box, giving Argentina an early advantage.
The second half brought a shift in tempo as the big names were introduced. Messi’s incisive pass led to Lautaro Martínez winning a penalty, which Messi himself calmly converted from the spot in the 72nd minute to double Argentina’s lead.
His impact didn’t stop there. The captain orchestrated Argentina’s third and final goal of the evening, dropping a perfectly weighted ball into the box to Rodrigo De Paul, who squared it for Thiago Almada to tap home and wrap up the 3-0 victory.
Argentina owned the ball with 63% possession and out-shot Iceland 15-6, including a 7-1 edge in shots on target. It was a masterclass in controlled dominance.
In 20 minutes on the pitch, Messi packed a clean goal, tidy passing and a confident all-round cameo — scoring with his only shot on target. With 21 touches, he stayed involved without forcing the tempo. At 38, his football intelligence does the running for him.
Valentín Barco led the way with a Sofascore rating of 7.8, helped by his early goal and two key passes in a lively 45 minutes, while Messi posted a 7.7 after coming on in the 70th minute, converting from the spot and knitting play together with 15 accurate passes.
With the final preparatory work done, La Albiceleste now turn their attention to what really matters. Argentina are thinking about their 2026 World Cup debut against Algeria on June 17th.
After Algeria Argentina will face Austria 22nd June then wind her group J campaign against Jordan on 28th June.
