Daijiworld Media Network – Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, Jun 10: Argentina defeated Iceland 3-0 in their final warm-up match ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, with Lionel Messi making an immediate impact after coming off the bench.

The reigning world champions overcame an early scare after Iceland missed a clear scoring opportunity in the opening minutes. Argentina capitalised on the let-off in the eighth minute when Valentin Barco produced a superb long-range strike to give La Albiceleste the lead.

Argentina maintained control for much of the match, but it was Messi's introduction in the second half that added further spark to the attack.

Moments after entering the field, the Argentine captain delivered a precise pass to Lautaro Martinez, who won a penalty after being brought down inside the box. Messi stepped up and calmly converted the spot-kick to double Argentina's advantage.

The third goal arrived following a flowing attacking move involving Messi and Martinez. Their combination play opened up the Iceland defence before Thiago Almada finished confidently to seal a comfortable 3-0 victory.

The result provides a timely boost for Argentina as they prepare to begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, with coach Lionel Scaloni likely encouraged by the team's attacking fluency and the impact made by Messi from the bench.

Despite Iceland's bright start, Argentina's quality ultimately proved decisive as the South American giants concluded their pre-tournament preparations with an impressive and convincing win.