Lionel Messi set to feature in Argentina’s final World Cup warm-up against Iceland

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that captain Lionel Messi will play in the reigning world champions’ final friendly match before the FIFA World Cup 2026, against Iceland on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Scaloni revealed that the extent of Messi’s involvement has yet to be determined.

"Messi will play, I just don't know how many minutes," Scaloni said.

"I still need to talk to him in today's training and we will see how many minutes he plays to avoid any type of risks. We will decide, but in principle he will play."

Messi was an unused substitute during Argentina’s victory over Honduras on 6 June, although he participated in the pre-match warm-up.

The Inter Miami captain joined the national team camp while recovering from muscle fatigue in his left hamstring, having experienced discomfort during his club’s match against the Philadelphia Union before the MLS World Cup break.

Scaloni stressed that player workloads would be carefully managed ahead of the tournament.

"We're going to distribute the minutes of the players who will play tomorrow to try to avoid any mishaps," said the World Cup-winning coach.

The Argentina manager also confirmed that Nico Paz, Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are available for selection after recovering from injury concerns.

Providing updates on other squad members, Scaloni said: "Julian Álvarez is doing well, he has an ankle discomfort that's going away. Lea Paredes is also coming along well, in the next few days he'll be able to rejoin the group."

Argentina begin their World Cup campaign against Algeria on 16 June before facing Austria and Jordan in Group J.