Argentina’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, has confirmed that Lionel Messi will participate in the final friendly match before the 2026 World Cup, facing Iceland on Tuesday night in Auburn, Alabama. Scaloni mentioned, “Messi will play; I’m just unsure about the number of minutes. I need to discuss it with him during today’s training to assess any risks. Generally, he will be playing.”
In Argentina’s previous friendly match against Honduras on June 6, Messi remained on the bench and did not play, although he did warm up before the game in College Station, Texas.
The captain of Inter Miami CF joined the national team camp after experiencing muscle fatigue in his left hamstring. He was substituted out in the 73rd minute of Inter Miami’s last game before the MLS World Cup break against the Philadelphia Union due to discomfort, which was later diagnosed as muscle fatigue.
Scaloni previously indicated that Messi’s recovery would be monitored on a day-to-day basis and noted that he began partial training with the squad on June 5.
Scaloni stated, “We will manage the players’ minutes tomorrow to mitigate any potential issues.” He also confirmed that Nico Paz, Nahuel Molina, and Gonzalo Montiel are also fit to play against Iceland, after previously training separately due to injuries.
The coach also provided updates on the fitness of Julián Álvarez and Leandro Paredes. “Álvarez is improving, his ankle discomfort is subsiding. Paredes is also recovering well and should rejoin training soon,” Scaloni noted.
Scaloni is yet to announce a replacement for Leonardo Balerdi, who left the training camp due to a calf injury and will miss the World Cup. “We will have a clearer idea after tomorrow’s match regarding his replacement,” Scaloni stated, adding that they can adapt to cover Balerdi’s position while considering alternatives based on the status of other injured players.
Argentina’s first match in the 2026 World Cup is set for June 16 against Algeria, followed by games against Austria and Jordan in Group J.