Argentina vs Iceland

Argentina capped their World Cup preparations with a polished 3-0 win over Iceland at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama — with Lionel Messi stealing the show just minutes after coming off the bench. Valentín Barco broke the deadlock in the 8th minute with a crisp strike from outside the box after a poor Iceland clearance. Argentina controlled possession throughout, but the real drama came in the 70th minute when Messi, introduced as a cautious substitute, immediately won and converted a penalty after Lautaro Martínez was brought down in the box. Thiago Almada sealed it in the 86th, combining with Messi and Rodrigo de Paul to finish a slick team move. For Argentina, it was the ideal send-off ahead of their June 16 World Cup opener against Algeria, with coach Lionel Scaloni rotating freely and keeping key players fresh. For Iceland, the loss is a sobering reminder of the gap — eight years after they famously held the same opponents to a 1-1 draw at the 2018 World Cup.