Lionel Messi marked his return from an injury scare with a goal as Argentina defeated Iceland 3-0 in their final warm-up match ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Argentina captain started on the bench as coach Lionel Scaloni carefully managed his fitness, but the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner made an immediate impact after coming on, scoring his 117th international goal on his 199th appearance for the national team.

Argentina took the lead through Valentin Barco after Iceland failed to clear their lines, while the South Americans continued to dominate after the break. Lautaro Martinez came close to scoring on multiple occasions before Messi’s introduction changed the game. The Inter Miami star calmly found the net to double Argentina’s advantage before helping create the third goal, which Thiago Almada converted after a pass from Rodrigo De Paul.

The victory provides a major boost for Argentina ahead of the defence of their World Cup title, with Messi showing no signs of lingering fitness concerns. The world champions will begin their campaign against Algeria on June 16 before taking on Austria and Jordan in Group J.