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Lionel Messi marked his return from a minor injury scare with a goal as Argentina defeated Iceland 3-0 in their final World Cup warm-up match in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who had been eased back into action following muscle fatigue sustained during Inter Miami’s 6-4 win over Philadelphia in May, began the match on the bench as coach Lionel Scaloni rotated his squad ahead of the tournament.
Messi was joined on the sidelines by Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister as Argentina fielded a largely experimental side before an 88,000-capacity crowd.
The world champions took an early lead after Iceland failed to clear a goalmouth scramble, allowing defender Valentín Barco to slot home from close range.
Iceland came close to opening the scoring inside the first minutes, but Mikael Egill Ellertsson blazed over with the goal gaping, a miss that proved costly as Argentina gradually took control of the game.
Despite several chances, including a pair of efforts from Lautaro Martínez that struck the post, Argentina were unable to extend their lead before half-time.
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Scaloni introduced several senior players after the break, including Fernández, Mac Allister and Martínez, as Argentina increased their dominance.
Messi entered the game in the final quarter and made an immediate impact. His first touch produced a defence-splitting pass that set up Martínez, who was brought down by Iceland goalkeeper Elias Ólafsson after attempting a chip.
Moments later, Messi found the net himself, scoring his 117th international goal in his 199th appearance for Argentina.
He was also involved in the third goal, combining with Rodrigo De Paul to create space before the ball was squared for Thiago Almada to finish from close range.
The result provides a confidence boost for Argentina as they prepare to begin their World Cup defence against Algeria on June 16, followed by group-stage fixtures against Austria and Jordan.
