Lionel Messi entered the match in the 70th minute to score a penalty and secure a 3-0 victory for Argentina against Iceland in their final World Cup warm-up friendly held in Auburn, Alabama on June 10, 2026 [1]. Messi created the penalty situation with his very first touch by threading a through ball to Lautaro Martinez, who was fouled in the box by Iceland's goalkeeper [1]. He converted the penalty to register his 117th international goal [1].
Argentina’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, confirmed ahead of the game that Messi would play, but the exact playing time was undecided to minimize injury risks due to the star forward’s recent left hamstring soreness. "Messi will play, I just don't know how many minutes. I still need to talk to him in today's training and we will see how many minutes he plays to avoid any type of risks," Scaloni said [2].
Messi had missed Argentina’s previous friendly against Honduras on June 6 while recovering from muscle fatigue sustained in late May during his final Inter Miami match before the MLS break [1, 2]. Argentina’s lineup was experimental, with players such as Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, and Alexis Mac Allister either starting on the bench or coming on as substitutes [1, 2]. The other goals in the match came from Valentin Barco and Thiago Almada [1].
Scaloni is currently seeking a replacement for Leonardo Balerdi, who suffered a calf injury before the World Cup [2]. Argentina’s group in the 2026 FIFA World Cup includes Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. They will open their tournament campaign against Algeria on June 16, 2026 [2].
