Messi confirmed to start as Argentina face Iceland in final World Cup warm-up

Messi starts Tuesday, Scaloni shuts down speculation

Your last friendly before the World Cup kicks off Tuesday against Iceland, and Lionel Scaloni has confirmed one thing without a shred of doubt: Lionel Messi will play (4). "Leo will play tomorrow (Tuesday)," Scaloni said, putting to rest any fitness concerns ahead of the tournament opener.

The Argentina manager also came out swinging Monday against a report suggesting Messi calls the shots on his own playing time. "I hope it was a misunderstanding, and if you can withdraw that piece, you would do me a great favor. In all the years I've been here, Messi has never once weighed in on team selection. I don't even need to clarify that I'm the one who makes the decisions," Scaloni said (1).

Squad-wise, Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are both back from injury and available. Nico Paz and Leandro Paredes trained normally and are in contention too (3) (5). The Iceland friendly is your last chance to see the team in action before the group stage, and Scaloni will use it to fine-tune a squad that arrives as reigning champions.

Messi tops all-time World Cup deciding-moments list

Ahead of his final World Cup appearance at 38, Messi sits at the top of yet another historic ranking: most goal involvements in World Cup history (2). He leads the all-time list, with Kylian Mbappé among the closest active challengers.

The stat reinforces what Argentina fans already know: even at the tail end of his international career, your captain remains the most decisive player on the planet when the stakes are highest. The 2026 tournament will be his last dance, and the numbers say he is not showing up quietly.

2018 ghosts linger ahead of Iceland reunion

Seven players who faced Iceland at the 2018 World Cup are still in both squads today (7). That group-stage match ended 1–1, and the enduring image is Messi's saved penalty, a moment that nearly derailed the campaign before it began.

This time, you face Iceland as world champions with a deeper, more self-assured squad and a manager who has won it all. The friendly is a warm-up, but the echoes of 2018 make it more than a routine tune-up.

Julián Álvarez agent cools Real Madrid talk

Julián Álvarez's agent, Fernando Hidalgo, has shut down reports linking the Atlético Madrid forward to Real Madrid. "We have no information on the matter and no one has contacted us about it," Hidalgo said (6).

Barcelona, PSG, and Arsenal have all been mentioned in connection with Álvarez in recent months, but his camp insists nothing is concrete. With the World Cup days away, Álvarez's focus remains on the national team.

Ibrahim Maza stokes Algeria rivalry before opener

Algeria's Ibrahim Maza has stirred the pot ahead of your World Cup opener, declaring he wants to beat Messi and Argentina when the two sides meet in the group stage (8). The comment has already ignited Argentine media and given fans an early edge to the group-stage opener. Algeria are not short on confidence, and Maza has made sure Argentina knows it.