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

Lionel Messi needed barely a heartbeat to remind the world he is ready.

Argentina’s captain came off the bench in Alabama, won a penalty with his first touch and buried it with ruthless certainty as the world champions eased past Iceland 3-0 in their final World Cup warm-up in Auburn.

He played 20 minutes. That was enough.

Messi’s instant impact

Messi, 38, had sat out the first friendly against Honduras while nursing left hamstring soreness, an issue that forced him off in Inter Miami’s final game before the World Cup break on May 24. Any lingering concern evaporated the moment he stepped over the white line on Tuesday night.

He entered on 70 minutes to a roar from an 88,000-strong crowd and immediately snapped into gear. A sharp through ball sent Lautaro Martinez racing into the box, where Iceland goalkeeper Elias Olafsson clattered into the striker. The referee pointed to the spot. The pressure in the stadium shifted from curiosity to expectation.

Messi walked up, glanced once, and lashed the penalty high into the roof of the net. No fuss, no doubt. International goal number 117, and Argentina’s second of the night.

He will head to this World Cup alongside Cristiano Ronaldo as the first men to appear in six tournaments. On this evidence, he is not going just to make up the numbers.

Scaloni experiments, Barco steps up

Lionel Scaloni used the occasion to stretch his squad. Messi began on the bench alongside Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister as Argentina lined up with an experimental XI, a calculated gamble in front of a huge, expectant crowd.

It almost backfired immediately. Iceland should have struck first when Mikael Egill Ellertsson found himself with the goal gaping in the opening minutes, only to blaze his finish over. A warning shot. Argentina took it seriously.

The three-time world champions settled, pushed Iceland back and struck with their first real spell of sustained pressure. A goalmouth scramble inside the box caused chaos, Iceland failed to clear, and the ball rolled invitingly to Strasbourg defender Valentin Barco. He drilled a low finish into the bottom corner to make it 1-0, his composure belying the makeshift nature of the side around him.

Nico Paz, given a rare chance to impress in Messi’s absence, struggled to seize it. His big moment came before half-time, when a fierce drive looked destined for the net, only for Olafsson to block it with his face. The rebound spun away, and with it went Paz’s best opportunity to stamp his name on the night.

Changes, woodwork and the long wait

Scaloni moved quickly at the break. Fernandez and Mac Allister arrived as part of five half-time changes, adding control and familiarity to the midfield. Lautaro Martinez also joined the action and immediately gave Iceland’s defence a more uncomfortable evening.

He should have wrapped the game up himself. Twice the Inter forward hit the post when clear chances fell his way, each miss drawing groans from the stands and keeping Iceland in a contest they had long since stopped controlling.

The stadium wanted one thing. Messi.

The wait stretched into the final quarter of an hour before Scaloni finally turned to his captain. The atmosphere changed the moment he peeled off his bib. Cameras followed him to the touchline; Iceland’s defenders suddenly looked less sure of their footing.

The penalty came almost instantly. The third goal followed with the same inevitability.

Messi again drifted between the lines, drew defenders and slid a pass into Rodrigo De Paul’s stride. The midfielder squared unselfishly across the six-yard box, and Thiago Almada arrived to tap in. Simple finish, beautifully constructed move. Iceland were done.

Argentina left with a clean sheet, three goals, and their star man looking sharp and untroubled. For Scaloni, it was as close to a perfect rehearsal as a manager can reasonably ask for on the eve of a tournament.

Iraq stumble as Venezuela strike early

Across the Midwest, Iraq’s preparations told a very different story.

In Bridgeville, Illinois, they fell 2-0 to Venezuela in their own final warm-up game, a result that undercut some of the optimism surrounding their first World Cup appearance in 40 years.

Venezuela struck early. On 17 minutes, midfielder Cristian Casseres pounced inside the area and finished from close range to put the South Americans in front. Iraq never truly recovered.

Any hope of a reset after the interval vanished almost as soon as the second half began. Casseres again proved decisive, winning the ball and releasing striker Jesus Ramirez. Ramirez drove at his marker, skipped past the challenge and hammered a powerful shot beyond the goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

Iraq’s night worsened in the 72nd minute when forward Ali Youssef received a straight red card, leaving them to finish with 10 men and no way back into the match.

They now turn towards Group I, where Norway await on June 17 before daunting meetings with France and Senegal. Argentina, in contrast, stride into the World Cup with their captain fit, their depth tested, and the sense that the old maestro still has one more tournament in his boots.