Lionel Messi received a huge ovation from the sold-out crowd at the Jordan Hare Stadium as he stepped onto the field during the 67th minute of the warm-up between Argentina and Iceland on Tuesday (June 10).
The Argentina captain made an immediate impact and scored a penalty in less than a minute. It was a redemption for Messi, who famously missed out on scoring a penalty in the drawn game against Iceland in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Even though it was a warm-up before the start of the FIFA World Cup, it was a memorable moment for Messi. The defending champions won the fixture 3-0.
Messi is aiming to become the first Argentine captain to win back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles. In 2022, it was after 36 years that Argentina lifted the WC title.
They are now aiming to become the first country in this century to retain the title. Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962) are the only two teams to win back-to-back WC titles.
Lionel Messi to create history
Lionel Messi will create history and etch his name in history books when Afghanistan participate ni their first game. He will become the player to play the most FIFA WCs (six). Portgual captain Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa have also featured in five FIFA WCs thus far.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez, Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso
Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Leonardo Balerdi, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Facundo Medina
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Enzo Fernandez, Valentin Barco
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, Thiago Almada, Nicolas Paz, Nicolas Gonzalez, Giuliano Simeone, Jose Manuel Lopez