AUBURN, Alabama (AP) — The soccer world breathed a collective sigh of relief Tuesday as Lionel Messi confirmed he is fully prepared to compete in his sixth FIFA World Cup, shaking off a recent muscle injury to mark his return with a penalty goal in Argentina’s final pre-tournament friendly. The reigning world champion’s captain entered the match off the bench, playing the final 20 minutes of Argentina’s 3-0 rout of Iceland, just days out from the global tournament kicking off and his 39th birthday.
Messi’s injury scare came in late May, during his last club appearance for Inter Miami, where he picked up muscle fatigue and a minor strain in his left hamstring that kept him out of action in the weeks leading up to Argentina’s pre-World Cup warm-up slate. The injury had sparked widespread concern among soccer fans worldwide about whether the Argentine legend would be at full fitness for what is widely expected to be his final World Cup campaign.
Coming on in the 70th minute of the tune-up match, Messi needed just two minutes to find the back of the net. After Argentine forward Lautaro Martínez was fouled inside the Icelandic 18-yard box, Messi stepped up to take the penalty and rifled a left-footed shot high into the net to seal the three-nothing win. The goal pushes Messi’s all-time record for Argentina to 117 international strikes, keeping his status as the nation’s leading goal scorer intact.
Argentina, which enters the tournament chasing its fourth World Cup title following victories in 1978, 1986, and 2022, will kick off its 2026 campaign against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City. The South American giants are drawn in Group J alongside Austria and Jordan. Tuesday’s clash marked just the second meeting between Argentina and Iceland. The two sides first faced off at the 2018 World Cup, where the European underdogs earned a 1-1 draw – a match remembered for Messi missing a late penalty that would have given Argentina the win.
For up-to-date coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, follow AP’s full coverage hub at: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup