Lionel Messi Shines in Argentina's 3-0 Victory Over Iceland

Lionel Messi needed barely a heartbeat to turn a routine friendly into his own stage.

Argentina were already in control against Iceland in Auburn, Alabama, when the 38-year-old finally rose from the bench in the 70th minute. The crowd of 88,000 had been waiting all night for that walk to the touchline. They got their moment – and Messi wasted none of it.

His first real involvement cut straight to the core of the contest. A perfectly weighted through ball sliced open Iceland’s defence and sent Lautaro Martinez racing clear. Goalkeeper Elias Olafsson clattered into the striker. Penalty. No debate.

Messi took the ball, placed it, and lashed it high into the roof of the net. One swing of that left foot, goal number 117 for his country, and Argentina’s lead doubled. A gentle warm-up suddenly felt like a World Cup night.

Messi ready for one more World Cup dance

This was the sight Argentina wanted to see. Messi had missed the first friendly against Honduras as he managed left hamstring soreness, an issue that forced him off in Inter Miami’s final match before the World Cup break on May 24. Any lingering doubts over his sharpness did not survive long in the Alabama heat.

His place at the World Cup is no longer a topic of concern but of history. When he steps onto the pitch in this tournament, he will join Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to appear in six World Cups. On this evidence, he is not going along just for the ceremony.

Even in a brief cameo, he dictated Argentina’s tempo. After the penalty, he drifted deeper, demanded the ball, and turned a low-key friendly into a training ground for his passing range. The third goal came from his touch as well: Messi fed Rodrigo De Paul, De Paul squared, and Thiago Almada rolled in a simple finish to complete a 3-0 win.

Scaloni shuffles the pack, Barco takes his chance

Lionel Scaloni used this final warm-up to experiment. Messi, Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister all started on the bench, their manager opting for a mixed XI in the last rehearsal before the real thing.

The early stages did not follow the script. Iceland should have been in front. Mikael Egill Ellertsson found himself staring at an open goal in the opening minutes and smashed his effort over the bar. A huge let-off.

Argentina punished that miss almost immediately. A scramble in the Iceland box ended with the ball breaking loose to Strasbourg defender Valentin Barco on the edge of the area. He didn’t hesitate. A crisp, low strike into the bottom corner and the three-time world champions were in front.

Nico Paz, handed a chance to impress in Messi’s absence, flickered but never quite caught fire. His best moment came before half-time when he powered a fierce shot towards goal, only to see Olafsson block it with his face. It summed up his night: close, but not decisive.

Scaloni rang the changes at the break. Fernandez and Mac Allister came on, Martinez too, and Argentina’s grip tightened. Martinez twice struck the post when he looked certain to score, the woodwork denying him the cushion his side’s dominance deserved.

The game needed a finisher. It got Messi.

Iceland fade, Argentina cruise

Once Messi stepped on, Iceland’s resistance felt temporary. They dropped deeper, chased shadows, and struggled to escape their own half. Argentina, already comfortable, began to enjoy themselves.

The penalty killed the contest. Almada’s late tap-in merely underlined the gulf between the sides on the night. Argentina ended their World Cup preparations with a clean sheet, three goals, and their greatest player looking light on his feet and heavy with influence.

No injuries, no scares, and Messi smiling. Scaloni could not have scripted it better.

Iraq stumble at the last hurdle

While Argentina walked off satisfied, Iraq’s final World Cup tune-up told a very different story.

In Bridgeville, Illinois, they fell 2-0 to Venezuela, a defeat that punctured some of the optimism around their return to the World Cup finals for the first time in 40 years.

Cristian Casseres struck first for Venezuela in the 17th minute, pouncing in the box and finishing from close range. The blow after half-time hurt even more. Casseres again did the damage, winning the ball and slipping it to Jesus Ramirez. The striker drove at a defender, beat him, and hammered in a powerful second.

Iraq’s night unraveled further in the 72nd minute when forward Ali Youssef received a straight red card. Down to 10 men, chasing a game already slipping away, they had no route back.

They now head into Group I knowing the margin for error is slim. Norway await on June 17, with France and Senegal to follow. The stage is huge, the wait has been long, and the questions after this defeat are obvious.

Argentina leave their final friendly with answers. Iraq arrive at the World Cup searching for them.