Lionel Scaloni confirms Lionel Messi's availability for Argentina vs Iceland
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Messi missed the friendly game against Honduras.
Lionel Messi has been sidelined from the Argentina national team. This was owing to a recent muscle problem caused by chronic tiredness during a game against Inter Miami.
However, with only one tune-up encounter remaining before the defending champions begin their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, head coach Lionel Scaloni stated that Messi will play against Iceland.
Lionel Messi set to return for second warm-up game
When asked if Messi would start in his pre-match press conference, Scaloni was straightforward about the superstar’s availability:
“He is going to play; what I don’t know is how many minutes. I still have to speak with him, we still have today’s training session. We will see how many minutes to avoid taking any kind of risk, and we will decide then. But in principle, yes, he will get minutes.“
Lionel Messi will make his first appearance on the pitch since being injured in an MLS encounter against the Philadelphia Union on May 24. He is all set up for a return against Iceland in an Argentina uniform.
Their most recent meeting left the South Americans with bad memories. Iceland gained a surprise 1-1 draw in the 2018 World Cup group stage opener. It was highlighted by Messi’s missed penalty.
Regarding the rest of the starting lineup, Scaloni stated that Argentina’s selection will be finalised following today’s training session. This depends on how the group performs physically. The coach also confirming that he will significantly rotate the team in comparison to the lineup used against Honduras.
Argentina’s final warm-up game before their inaugural World Cup game against Algeria on June 16 will be against Iceland at Jordan-Hare Stadium. After waiting on the bench against Honduras on Saturday, Lionel Messi is set to get some much-needed match experience before the World Cup begins in North America.
When are Argentina facing Iceland?
They will face them on 10th June, at 6:30 am IST.
Will Lionel Messi play?
Yes.
When is Argentina’s first World Cup game?
17th June, 6:30 am IST against Algeria.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.