Messi Scores Off the Bench as Argentina Cruise Past Iceland in Final World Cup Warm-Up

Lionel Messi came off the bench to score as Argentina completed their final preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Iceland in a friendly match held in the United States.

The reigning world champions delivered a dominant performance on Tuesday night, with Messi entering the game in the 70th minute after recovering from recent hamstring discomfort. Despite limited minutes on the pitch, the Argentina captain made an immediate impact, winning and converting a penalty to extend his team’s lead.

Argentina had already taken control of the match before Messi’s introduction. Valentin Barco opened the scoring after capitalizing on a goalmouth scramble inside the Iceland penalty area. Thiago Almada later added a third goal, sealing a convincing win for Lionel Scaloni’s side in front of a large crowd.

Messi’s appearance was closely watched after he missed Argentina’s previous warm-up match due to injury concerns. The 38-year-old forward has been managing fitness issues in the lead-up to what is expected to be his record sixth FIFA World Cup appearance.

His goal came after a clever through ball to Lautaro Martinez resulted in a foul by the Iceland goalkeeper, allowing Argentina to earn a penalty. Messi converted confidently, sending the ball into the roof of the net to register his 117th international goal.

Despite starting with a rotated squad, Argentina maintained strong control throughout the match. Key players including Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, and Alexis Mac Allister began on the bench as Scaloni tested squad depth ahead of the tournament.
 

The match also provided opportunities for younger players, with mixed performances across the pitch. Some promising attacking sequences were offset by missed chances, including a near miss from Nico Paz in the first half.

Argentina’s third goal came late in the match, with Messi again involved in the build-up. His pass to Rodrigo De Paul helped create space for Almada, who finished from close range to complete the scoring.

Iceland had early opportunities but failed to capitalize, including a missed chance in the opening minutes when Mikael Egill Ellertsson fired over an open opportunity.

The friendly marks the end of Argentina’s pre-tournament schedule, with the team now shifting focus to defending their World Cup title in North America. Expectations remain high for Messi and his teammates as they aim to replicate their success from Qatar 2022.

Elsewhere in World Cup preparations, Iraq suffered a 2-0 defeat to Venezuela in their final warm-up match in Illinois. The result came as a setback for Iraq ahead of their return to the World Cup stage after a 40-year absence, with their campaign set to begin against Norway before facing France and Senegal in the group stage.

As the tournament approaches, teams across the globe continue fine-tuning their squads, but Argentina’s confident performance sends a strong signal that the defending champions are ready for another deep run on football’s biggest stage.