Updated : Jun 10, 2026 09:29 IST
Lionel Messi scored and delivered a key pass as Argentina beat Iceland 3-0 in its FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match. | Photo Credit: AP
Lionel Messi scored and delivered a key pass as Argentina beat Iceland 3-0 in its FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match. | Photo Credit: AP
Welcome to Sportstar’s highlights of the FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match between Argentina and Iceland, which was played at the Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, USA. This was Neeladri Bhattacharjee bringing you minute-by-minute updates of this high profile clash.
That's all, folks!
And with that, we come to an end of this blog. We will be back with another match very soon. Until then, take very good care of yourselves and thank you for tuning into this space!
Argentins vs Iceland: Match report and player ratings — Click below to know more
Lionel Messi is set to feature in his sixth World Cup and allayed fears he may not be ready for the start of the tournament in a supreme 20-minute cameo.
FT: Argentina 3-0 Iceland
The referee blows the full-time whistle and Argentina squares off its World Cup preparations with a commanding win over Iceland before it plays Algeria in its 2026 World Cup opener.
87'' Goal! Argentina gets a third
Argentina attacks on the counter, with Messi passing to Rodrigo de Paul, who crosses to Almada, who makes no mistake to steer the ball into the net for Argentina’s third. Three goals, two of which have come with direct contributions from Messi. Talk about instant impact.
84'
Argentina has gone into a sort of lull in the last eight minute. Iceland, meanwhile, tried to attack through set pieces and Gunnarsson sticks out his head for the free-kick. However, the ball goes way over the net off his head.
71' Lionel Messi scores!
Messi threads in a through ball for Lautaro Martinez with his first touch and the Inter striker goes down in the box and the referee points to the spot. Messi steps up and the forward who had missed a penalty against Iceland eight years ago rattles the net this time to double Argentina’s lead.
70'
Lionel Messi comes onto the pitch to play in the last 30 minutes of the match, the final half an hour before he leads the charge for Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
68'
The match pauses for a cooling break and Lionel Messi is all set to come on for Argentina. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner turns 39 in just over two weeks and thousands of fans cheer for the man they have come to watch.
66'
Argentina is looking to combine well in the final third, with Rodrigo de Paul combining with Romero. Lautaro Martinez gets a through ball and then tries to round the goalkeeper and again, Argentina sees the woodwork betray it as the ball hits the goalpost.
62' Off the woodwork!
Argentina goes for an attack where Enzo switches play with a long cross for Simeone, who crosses for Mac Allister, who hits the woodwork with his shot. Another unlucky miss and the lead remains a slander 1-0 one.
60'
Iceland has shifted to a three-man defence - a step that can yield results through counterattacking and almost scores. Harraldsson makes a solo run with the ball and takes a shot, which is just wide. What a chance for Iceland this!
59' Two changes for Argentina!
Scaloni makes two more changes, with Nicolas Gonzales replacing Nicolas Otamendi while Thiago Almada comes on for Nico Paz.
57' What a miss by Argentina!
Iceland is caught cold with its high line as Nico Paz gets the ball along the right and darts into the box. He draws the goalkeeper and then crosses for Lautaro, but the Inter striker fails to get to the ball on time.
57'
Lautaro Martinez, who assisted the second goal against Honduras, tries another cross, which Mac Allister receives well, but fails to wrap his legs around the ball completely, thus failing to launch a shot.
55'
Mac Allister gets the ball from Enzo and then the ball goes to Romero. Argentina is playing around with cute small passes as Iceland is left chasing shadows.
51'
In case of you have tuned into the match for the first time, Valentin Barco has scored the opening goal for Argentina and the world champion made five changes in the break: Enzo, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo de Paul, Lautaro Martinez and Cristian Romero have replaced Exequiel Palacios, Barco, Giovani Lo Celso, Jose Lopez and Lisandro Martinez respectively.
50'
There is a newfound zeal and energy in the crowd as they see Lionel Messi warming up. The World Cup-winning captain had not come on against Honduras but Scaloni had clarified that Messi will play against Iceland.
47'
Iceland is looking to stretch the game further with square passes. Haraldsson tries to go for an overlapping run and ends up dragging Giay down for an Argentina free-kick and the Iceland attack ends to nothing.
Second half begins!
Lionel Scaloni brings on Enzo Fernandez to add some more intensity in Argentina’s attack. Enzo was superb against Mexico in the 2022 World Cup and Scaloni will hope for a similar magic in the 2026 edition.
June 10, 2026 07:30
HALFTIME
HT: Argentina 1-0 Iceland
Valentin Barco’s bullet of a strike separates the two sides at the half-way mark as Argentina looks to end its World Cup preparations on a positive note. Meanwhile, for Iceland, it has been a tale of missed opportunities.
June 10, 2026 07:27
YELLOW CARD
44'
Meanwhile, in case you missed it, Valentin Barco got into the book for a physical challenge on Eliaw lsson - first yellow card for Argentina.
44'
Iceland gets a chance to score as Johannesson takes a shot from distance. The shot remains on target but Rulli meets it with equal quality, denying the the Iceland No. 8 a chance to make it all square.
40'
Meanwhile, Giuliami Simeon, Alvarez’s club teammate gets the ball along the left flank and makes a run into the final third and takes the shot. However, Olafsson makes a regulation shot.
38'
Lionel Scaloni has heavily rotated his squad in this match, with all three key forwards, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi benched. Alvarez made headlines hours ago, when an offer for him from Real Madrid was rejected by Atletico.
35'
Iceland tried to stretch Argentina by switching play as Gudmundsson gets a cross and tried to cross, while Argentina’s shape shifts from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1. Iceland ultimately gets a free-kick, which goes out of play after a header.
33'
We are past the half-hour mark and Argentina, unsurprisingly has more touches in the opposition box (13 vs 3) and more shots (6v1) in the contest so fat.
June 10, 2026 07:11
YELLOW CARD
30'
Iceland is looking dodgy with its discipline as Daniel Gretarsson fouls Valentin Barco and gets into the book. Iceland has two players in the book in a matter of seconds.
June 10, 2026 07:09
YELLOW CARD
29'
Victor Palsson makes a rough challenge and argues with the referee after he gives a foul. The full back gets a yellow card for the challenge - the first booking of the match.
26'
As the play resumes after a cooling break, Argentina is looks a bit more composed as it contains a long-ball attack by Iceland. The team in blue missed a golden opportunity to score earlier in the game, and it remains to be seen if that proved costly.
22'
Argentina gets another dead-ball position. The team gets ready for the free-kick. Nico Paz takes it and goes for the maximum. However, he shoots the ball way off-target.
18'
Argentina is continuing to dominate the attack, as it had done against Honduras. Meanwhile, as the camera pans on Lionel Messi, the decibel levels rise, people cheer and applaud. This is the man most of them have to watch, as has been the case in several stadiums around the world over the years.
15'
Iceland looks to have tweaked its shape now, playing as a 4-3-3 instead of a 4-2-3-1 with which it had started the match. The slender lead is never a good lead, and Iceland, of all people, must know it.
13'
Lopez and Paz combine again and this time, Iceland’s blue wall makes another timely block to save the goalkeeper a stretch and a potential save.
12'
Argentina attacks again as Lopez and links with Paz and the final shot is somehow blocked by Iceland, which has its defenders huffing and puffing but they do the job well and in time.
11'
Argentina had found the opening goal around the half-hour mark in the previous match. Here, however, it took just eight minutes and a moment of sheer brilliance by Barco to rattle the net.
8' Goal! Argentina scores
Argentina gets a free-kick and makes the best of the set-piece situation. Nicolas Otamendi sends the ball in but as Iceland clears the ball out of the box, Valentin Barco shoots on the half volley to find the bottom-left corner.
6'
Iceland looks to sitting quite comfortably at the back, with two lines of four men manning the defence. Scaloni, Argentina’s coach, will find it quite fascinating as he needs to find a way out of the opponent’s park-the-bus strategy.
4' Chance for Iceland!
Iceland goes for the attack against the run of play and Gudmundsson whips in a cross from the left flank for Ellertson, who gets a touch on the ball, but fails to steer it into the net. What an early chance for Iceland!
3'
Argentina has begun the game in its conventional attacking style, with Paz marching into the box, where he loses the ball. Giay tries to go for another attack but Iceland stops the attack and goes for a counter.
2'
Argentina starts in a 4-4-2 shape, with Jose Lopez and Nico Paz setting up the attack, while Iceland starts in a 4-2-3-1 formation, sporting a blue jersey. Meanwhile, Argentina starts in its conventional white and blue home kit.
Kick off!
Nicolas Otamendi and Orri Oskarsson, captains of Argentina and Iceland, step up for the coin toss and then get into formations of their respective sides.
Argentina vs Iceland head-to-head
Argentina and Iceland have played just once before, at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, when the contest ended in a 1-1 draw, with goals from Sergio Aguero and Alfred Finnbogason. That clash also saw Lionel Messi miss a penalty. Messi, though starts from the bench this time, unlike that game in Russia, where he was a starter.
Minutes to kick off!
The players of both sides walk onto the side, holding hands of children amidst cheers from a near-capacity crowd in Alabama. Time for national anthems and then we will go into Argentina’s final test before it begins its World Cup defence.
Latest update from the stadium!
The rain has subsided and the players are out for warm-ups before the match. Lionel Messi, the star of the show, is also there and he starts from the bench in the game.
Will Lionel Messi play in Argentina vs Iceland?
Yes, the talismanic forward is expected to be in action in the FIFA World Cup 2026 match, Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed before the match.
Click below to read the full story:
With Argentina facing Iceland in its last warm-up clash before FIFA World Cup 2026, the question that arises is about the availability of Lionel Messi.
Hope at the end of the tunnel?
The rain looks to be easing at Auburn. But will the players take the field right away or there will be a delayed kick off at the warm-up match? We will have to wait and watch.
Form guide: Iceland
Iceland comes into the match with a very different form compared to the world champion. It has no wins in the last five matches, with its last win coming as a 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan in November 2025.
Last five matches of Iceland:
Japan 1-0 Iceland
Haiti 1-1 Iceland
Canada 2-2 Iceland
Mexico 4-0 Iceland
Ukraine 2-0 Iceland
Form guide: Argentina
Argentina comes into the match after a 2-0 win over Honduras. It comes into the game after six consecutive wins.
Last five matches of Argentina:
Argentina 2-0 Honduras
Argentina 5-0 Gambia
Argentina 2-1 Mauritania
Angola 0-2 Argentina
Puerto Rico 0-6 Argentina
Iceland Starting XI:
E. Olafsson, L. Tómasson, D. Grétarsson, G. Pálsson, H. Haraldsson, Í. Jóhannesson, O. Oskarsson, A. Gudmundsson, A. Baldurs son, M. Ellertsson, J. H. Magnússon
Storm update in and around the Auburn stadium
The Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, USA, was seen in deep water after the rain, as per local reports, putting the match in serious jeopardy.
Welcome to Argentina vs Iceland!
Hello and welcome to the FIFA international friendly between Argentina and Iceland in Alabama, USA. The weather is not quite conducive for a competitive match, with torrential rain pouring down in the area.
Match Preview
Argentina, the defending World Cup champion, will hope to end its preparations for title defence in style as it takes on Iceland in a FIFA World Cup warm-up match on Tuesday.
La Albiceleste comes into the match after a 2-0 win over Honduras, and the clash against Iceland will be its last preparatory game. Lionel Scaloni, who tested his bench strength in that match, spared only one player from his squad in that contest – the captain and record goalscorer Lionel Messi.
Against Iceland, the 38-year-old will look to get minutes on the pitch before the World Cup begins on June 11.
Argentina is drawn in Group J at the World Cup and tops the FIFA rankings at the moment, following its victory over the Hondurans. It opens the quadrennial showpiece against Algeria on June 16.
Published on Jun 10, 2026
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