Messi's Stellar Return Powers Argentina to Victory
Lionel Messi needed barely a heartbeat to remind Argentina – and everyone watching – that he is walking into another World Cup with his finishing touch intact.
On a warm night in Auburn, Alabama, the 38-year-old stepped off the bench, won a penalty with his very first involvement and then lashed it into the roof of the net, sealing a 3-0 win over Iceland and a serene end to Argentina’s preparations.
Messi’s instant impact
He had sat, wrapped in his bib, for 70 minutes. No rush, no fuss. Argentina were already in front, but the crowd of around 88,000 had come to see one man and the anticipation grew with every stoppage.
When he finally crossed the white line, he needed only one pass to bend the game fully to his will.
Messi slipped a throughball into the path of Lautaro Martinez, who was clattered by goalkeeper Elias Olafsson. The referee pointed straight to the spot. Messi took the ball, glanced up once and hammered it high into the net, goal number 117 of his international career.
The roar said it all. So did his body language. The left hamstring soreness that kept him out of the friendly against Honduras and forced him off early for Inter Miami on May 24 looked like a memory, not a concern.
With that, his place at a record sixth World Cup – matching Cristiano Ronaldo – felt less like a milestone on the horizon and more like the next inevitable chapter.
Scaloni experiments, Barco takes his chance
Before Messi’s entrance, this had been Lionel Scaloni’s laboratory.
He left Messi, Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister on the bench and sent out an experimental XI, a blend of hopefuls and fringe figures given one last audition under the fiercest spotlight international football can offer.
The night could have started with a jolt. Iceland carved out the first big chance, Mikael Egill Ellertsson leaning back and blazing over with the goal at his mercy. It was a glaring miss and Argentina treated it as a warning.
They tightened up, pushed higher, and the pressure broke Iceland’s resistance early.
A scrambled sequence in the Iceland box left defenders hacking at half-clearances. The ball squirmed loose to Valentin Barco on the edge of the area and the Strasbourg defender drilled a low shot into the bottom corner. One chance, one clean strike, one statement.
Nico Paz, given a precious opportunity in Messi’s absence, could not follow that example. He burst through before the interval and unleashed a fierce effort, only to see Olafsson block it with his face. It summed up a night that never quite clicked for the youngster.
Changes, woodwork and the waiting game
Scaloni reset the pieces at half-time. Fernandez and Mac Allister came on among five changes, Lautaro Martinez included. The structure looked more familiar, the tempo more assertive.
Lautaro immediately found space, twice rattling the post when he seemed certain to score. Each near-miss cranked up the sense that Argentina needed a second goal to match their dominance.
The crowd, though, had another priority. Every time Messi got up to stretch, a murmur swept around the stands. Every time he sat back down, it turned to a sigh.
At last, with 20 minutes left, Scaloni sent him in.
The mood changed instantly. Passes zipped sharper, runs grew bolder. Iceland, who had clung on doggedly, suddenly found themselves chasing shadows.
The penalty came, the net bulged, and Argentina had the cushion they wanted. Messi’s work, however, was not done.
Almada finishes the job
As Iceland tired, Argentina began to enjoy themselves.
Messi dropped deeper, dictating the rhythm. One of those familiar, disguised passes slid into the stride of Rodrigo De Paul, who had timed his run perfectly. De Paul could have shot; instead, he squared unselfishly across goal for Thiago Almada.
Almada tapped in, a simple finish at the end of a move that carried the stamp of Argentina’s senior creators. Three goals, no injuries, and a dressing room full of players who had all seen minutes. For a final warm-up, it was as close to ideal as a manager can script.
The champions will arrive at the World Cup with their captain fit, firing and on the brink of history. The rest of the planet has been warned.
Iraq stumble as Venezuela strike twice
While Argentina polished their armour, Iraq’s final rehearsal in Bridgeville, Illinois, ended with more questions than answers.
Facing Venezuela, they fell behind after 17 minutes. Cristian Casseres pounced in the box and finished from close range, a simple goal that cut straight through Iraq’s defensive shape.
Any hope of a reset after the interval vanished almost immediately. Casseres again did the damage, winning the ball and springing forward before feeding Jesus Ramirez. The striker took on a defender, shifted his weight and smashed in a powerful shot for 2-0.
The night deteriorated further when Ali Youssef saw red in the 72nd minute, leaving Iraq to finish with 10 men and little chance of a late response.
They now head to their first World Cup finals since their lone appearance 40 years ago, opening Group I against Norway on June 17 before facing France and Senegal.
Argentina stride into the tournament with the ease of seasoned contenders. Iraq arrive with a sting from their last outing and a point to prove. Only one of them looks ready to write a story that will last all summer.
