Messi scores on return as Argentina eye World Cup glory - VIDEO
Argentina captain Lionel Messi made his return to action on Tuesday night after a 16-day absence caused by muscle overload in his left hamstring, coming off the bench to score in a friendly victory over Iceland, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.
Messi's comeback helped secure Argentina's 3-0 win and delighted the crowd of 88,044 spectators at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, who gathered to watch the defending world champions ahead of the start of the World Cup.
Con la primera pelota de Messi en el juego... ¡PENAL PARA ARGENTINA! ⚽❗
— ESPN Deportes (@ESPNDeportes) June 10, 2026
Lo cobra Messi, Argentina aumenta la ventaja 2-0 ante Islandia en el amistoso. pic.twitter.com/HztiSby31x
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner entered the match in the second half as a substitute for Giuliano Simeone, marking his first appearance since leaving a game against the Philadelphia Union on May 24 due to muscle discomfort.
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Messi converted a penalty in the 72nd minute, taking his international tally to 117 goals and becoming the oldest goalscorer in Argentina's history.
Argentina will now turn its attention to the opening match of its World Cup title defense against Algeria on June 16.
“All that other stuff is behind us now; they'll judge us by what we do in this World Cup. We want to compete, arrive on the first day and leave on the last,” said Rodrigo De Paul, Messi's teammate for both Inter Miami and Argentina.
“Argentina is always a contender; people always get their hopes up. When I was a kid, the dream was always that we'd do really well.
“We're going to give everything we've got and a little bit more to bring [fans] that joy in order to see that union again like in Qatar. I'd like to see all the Argentinians united at the Obelisk again like that time. We're going to try it again.”
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni stressed the importance of approaching the tournament one match at a time and not focusing solely on winning the title.
“We can't just think about being champions, we have to encourage, be there, and make the people feel identified with this team,” Scaloni said. “The World Cup isn't won just by the team that plays the best, there are many factors that have to help you.”
Nevertheless, Scaloni expressed satisfaction with Argentina’s preparations following pre-World Cup friendlies against Honduras and Iceland, particularly with Messi appearing fit and ready for the tournament.
“Today's test left me satisfied and cleared up many doubts regarding what the team might be lacking,” Scaloni added. “We were worried at one point, but today we're much more at ease seeing how the boys responded.”
Argentina has been drawn into Group J, where it will face Algeria, Austria and Jordan as it seeks to successfully defend the World Cup title won in 2022.
By Nijat Babayev
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