Lionel Messi played the last 20 minutes and scored from the penalty spot in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Iceland in their final World Cup warm-up game.
The captain of the reigning world champions is back on the field after recovering from muscle fatigue and a mild strain on the hamstring of his left leg, an injury he sustained in his last appearance for Inter Miami on May 24.
He started the match in Auburn in the state of Alabama on the bench, and entered the game in the 70th minute.
Just two minutes after entering, Messi was accurate from the penalty spot. The penalty was awarded after a foul on Lautaro Martinez in the penalty area, and the Argentinian captain shook the net with a strong left-footed shot.
Messi literally 45 seconds after subbing on pic.twitter.com/bTI3gv3mB4
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 10, 2026
With this, he reached the 117th goal in the jersey of the Argentine national team and once again confirmed the status of the best scorer in the history of the national team.
This performance was the last test before the sixth World Cup of his career, just a few days before his 39th birthday.
Argentina is defending its title at the tournament and is seeking its fourth world champion trophy after winning the championships in 1978, 1986 and 2022.
Argentina will play its first match at the World Cup on June 16 in Kansas City against Algeria in Group J, which also includes Austria and Jordan.
Let us remind you that this was only the second duel between Argentina and Iceland. The first was played at the 2018 World Cup and ended in a 1-1 draw, when Iceland won a point and Messi missed a penalty.
(Vijesti.ba)
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