The South American superstar contributed substantially to the victory (3-0) of the Argentina team in the test match against Iceland, the last one before the debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Held at an archipelago stadium in Auburn (Alabama), the matchup was affected by bad weather, with torrential rain even threatening to cancel it.
At the age of 38, Lionel Messi entered the field in the second half, playing about 20 minutes. The former Barcelona and PSG player underwent treatment over two weeks for an Achilles tendon problem in his left foot.
Approaching match number 200
So now he has ticked off his 199th match for the Argentina national team, after being sent off in the previous test against Honduras (2-0).
In the twenty minutes he spent on the pitch, Messi delighted the crowd with his executions and did not appear physically affected at all. He converted a penalty awarded by the referee after a foul on Lautaro Martinez (min. 72). The other goals were scored by Valentin Barco (min. 8) and Thiago Almada (min. 86).
Messi is the most titled footballer
Born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Messi is the captain of both Major League Soccer team Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, he has won eight Ballon d’Or, six European Golden Boots and has been nominated eight times for the FIFA World Player of the Year award. In 2025, he was named the best footballer of all time by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
The Argentine is also the most decorated player in the history of professional football, winning 46 trophies. He achieved the most goals in a calendar year (91), most goals for a single club team (672 for Barcelona), most goals in La Liga (474), most assists in international football (61), most contributions to goals in the FIFA World Cup (21) and most contributions to goals in the Copa América (32). Messi scored more than 900 goals in his senior career and provided more than 400 assists for club and national teams, resulting in more than 1,300 goal contributions — the highest total in the history of the sport.
Reigning world champions, Argentina will make their debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City.
