Argentina received a major boost ahead of their World Cup title defence as Lionel Messi returned from injury concerns and scored in a convincing 3-0 victory over Iceland in a pre-tournament friendly in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday.
The Argentine captain began the match among the substitutes as coaching staff carefully managed his recovery after muscle fatigue forced him off during Inter Miami’s thrilling 6-4 victory over Philadelphia on May 24.
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Also starting on the bench were key stars Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister, with head coach Lionel Scaloni opting to field a largely experimental side before a crowd of 88,000 spectators.
Set to compete in his sixth FIFA World Cup, Messi quickly dispelled any doubts about his fitness with an influential late appearance that helped seal the win for the reigning world champions.
Argentina will launch their Group J campaign against Algeria on June 16 before taking on Austria and Jordan in the opening phase of the tournament.
Iceland nearly stunned Argentina in the opening minutes when Mikael Egill Ellertsson found himself with a clear opportunity but fired his effort over the crossbar.
The miss proved costly as Argentina soon moved ahead. Following a chaotic scramble inside the Iceland penalty area, the ball fell kindly to Strasbourg defender Valentin Barco, who drilled a low shot into the corner of the net.
Nico Paz, handed an opportunity to impress in Messi’s absence, came close to extending the lead before halftime, but his powerful strike was brilliantly blocked by goalkeeper Elias Olafsson.
Scaloni introduced fresh legs at the interval, bringing on Fernandez and Mac Allister as part of five substitutions.
Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez was also among the halftime arrivals and came within inches of scoring, striking the woodwork twice as Argentina searched for a second goal.
The moment the crowd had been waiting for arrived midway through the second half when Messi finally entered the contest.
The 38-year-old immediately made his presence felt, threading a superb pass through to Martinez, who was brought down by Olafsson after attempting to chip the goalkeeper.
Messi calmly converted the resulting penalty, registering his 117th international goal in what was his 199th appearance for Argentina.
The football icon played a key role again moments later, initiating a move that saw Rodrigo De Paul deliver a square pass for Thiago Almada to tap home Argentina’s third goal and complete a comfortable victory.
The result provides further encouragement for Scaloni’s side as they prepare to begin their quest for back-to-back World Cup titles.
AFP
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