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After recovering from a musculus injury, the skipper of the reigning satellite champions played 20 minutes and scored a punishment successful Argentina’s 3-0 triumph implicit Iceland connected Tuesday (June 9, 2026) successful its last tune-up lucifer earlier the World Cup.
Messi, recovered from musculus fatigue and a flimsy strain successful his near hamstring that helium suffered successful his past quality with Inter Miami connected May 24, started the crippled connected the bench.
Just days earlier his 39th day and his sixth World Cup, Messi came connected successful the 70th infinitesimal and helium scored a punishment footwear aft Lautaro Martínez was fouled wrong the area.
Messi, the all-time apical scorer for the Argentine nationalist squad with 117 goals, converted the punishment with a precocious left-footed changeable successful the 72nd minute.
Argentina, seeking its 4th World Cup rubric aft those won successful 1978, 1986, and 2022, volition unfastened its tourney against Algeria connected June 16 successful Kansas City successful Group J, which besides includes Austria and Jordan.
It was the 2nd lucifer betwixt the 2 nations. The archetypal 1 was astatine the 2018 World Cup, erstwhile the European broadside managed a 1-1 gully successful which Messi missed a penalty.
