Argentina’s men’s national football team defeated Iceland 3-0 on Tuesday in its final preparation match ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Lionel Scaloni’s side needed a convincing display in its final buildup to the tournament after facing Honduras on Saturday with a heavily rotated lineup.
It got exactly that. Argentina seized control from the outset, taking the lead less than eight minutes into the match through midfielder Valentín Barco. Following a scrambled sequence in the penalty area, the former Boca Juniors prodigy unleashed a volley from outside the box that found the back of the net.
Despite creating a handful of additional chances, Barco’s strike remained the standout moment of an otherwise uneventful first half.
Scaloni made five changes after the break, but the most notable came in the 67th minute when captain Lionel Messi replaced Giovani Simeone, making his first appearance since mid-May.
Shortly after, Argentina was awarded a penalty as striker Lautaro Martínez was brought down by the Icelandic goalkeeper. Messi took care of business, scoring the 2-0 in the 70th minute.
Another record for Messi
With that goal, Messi became, at the age of 38 years, 11 months, and 16 days, the oldest goalscorer for the Albiceleste, beating the previous record set by legendary River Plate forward Ángel Labruna, who had scored his last international goal on July 7, 1957 at the age of 38 years, nine months, and eight days, against Brazil at the Maracanã.
With the result all but secured, Thiago Almada put the finishing touches on Argentina’s victory in the 86th minute, making it 3-0.
“I’m really looking forward to the World Cup,” Messi said after the match. “It’s hard to feel any other way. I always want to play and win.”
The Argentine captain said he “felt really well” and was eager to get back on the pitch to “shake off the usual fears that appear during training.”
“This team always shows that we’re just as hungry,” he added. “We are a team of winners, and we always want more. Rivals will have a hard time against us.”
In that sense, Messi echoed the message he delivered after Argentina’s shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“The Argentine fans always believe in us and support us,” he said. “We’ve said it before: we won’t let them down. I want people to know that we will give it our all.”
