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Messi excited for World Cup after easing injury concerns in Iceland win
Messi missed Argentina's friendly against Honduras as he continued his recovery from left hamstring soreness which forced him to prematurely exit Inter Miami's match on May 24
- PUBLISHED: Wed 10 Jun 2026, 4:46 PM
Lionel Messi came off the bench and converted a penalty in Argentina's final World Cup tune-up friendly Tuesday, a 3-0 defeat of Iceland in Auburn, Ala.
Subbing in during the 70th minute, Messi set up a penalty kick with his first touch of the match, passing a throughball to Lautaro Martinez, who was taken out by Iceland goalkeeper Elias Olafsson.
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In the 72nd minute, Messi buried the PK into the roof of the net, doubling Argentina's lead to 2-0 on the 117th international goal of his career.
The 38-year-old, one of the oldest players in the 2026 World Cup, expressed relief at his physical condition after the game against Iceland.
"Enjoying it from the start, I was eager to play for a while since I arrived with this discomfort. Happy, enjoying every moment, and excited as always," Messi told TyC Sports.
"I felt great, I was keen to get started and shake off the fears you have when you have this discomfort, to be able to play freely. We have a week to get everyone fit and ready for the opening match."
Messi missed Argentina's first friendly against Honduras on Saturday as he continued his recovery from left hamstring soreness which forced him to prematurely exit Inter Miami's final match before the World Cup break on May 24.
With his World Cup status seemingly certain, Messi is set to simultaneously set a record this month alongside Cristiano Ronaldo when he appears in his sixth career World Cup.
No one has played in more World Cup matches than Messi, who has appeared in 26, one more than Germany's Lothar Matthaus. Messi's 13 career World Cup goals are tied for fourth-most, three behind German record-holder Miroslav Klose (16).
Valentin Barco (eighth minute) and Thiago Almeda (86th) also scored for Argentina, who outscored their opponents 5-0 in the final tune-up matches entering their World Cup title defense.
Argentina's Group J schedule at the upcoming World Cup features matches against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City, Mo.; against Austria on June 22 at Arlington, Texas; and against Jordan on June 27 at Arlington.