Lionel Messi returned from a left thigh injury and came on as a substitute against Iceland on June 9, 2026, in Auburn, Alabama, in front of over 88,000 fans [1, 2, 3, 4]. He scored a penalty in the 72nd minute just about two minutes after entering the match, helping Argentina secure a 3-0 victory [1, 5, 6]. Reports noted he scored 119 seconds after being substituted on around the 70th minute [5, 6, 4].
The other goals for Argentina were scored by Valentin Barco in the 8th minute and Thiago Almada in the 86th minute [5]. Messi’s penalty was his 117th for the Argentina national team, setting a new record as the oldest goal scorer in Argentina’s history at age 38 [1, 2, 5]. This match marked his return 16 days after suffering the thigh injury on May 24 while playing for Inter Miami [1, 2, 5, 3, 6, 4].
This was Messi’s sixth World Cup tournament. He holds the record for most World Cup appearances with 26 matches played and ranks fourth all-time in World Cup goals with 13 [5].
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni praised the team’s performance and said seeing the players on the pitch allowed him to put his concerns to rest. He said, “9日這場測試讓我非常滿意，原本心中的擔憂與疑慮，在看到小夥子們的場上表現後，終於能徹底放下” [1]. Scaloni also stressed the need for steady preparation and said, “我們不能滿腦子只想著奪冠，我們必須去激勵、去陪伴，並讓人民對這支球隊產生認同感。世界盃從來不只是由踢得最好的球隊勝出，還有許多其他因素必須在過程中為你帶來幫助” [3].
Teammate Rodrigo De Paul echoed the team’s championship ambitions, saying, “過去的榮耀都已經過去，世界盃才是檢驗我們的真正舞台。阿根廷永遠是奪冠熱門，全隊將會復刻卡達世界盃的凝聚力，付出一切只為再次將奪冠的喜悅帶回國內” [1].
Argentina will start their 2026 World Cup group stage campaign on June 17 against Algeria, followed by matches against Austria and Jordan [1, 5, 3, 6, 4].
