Will Lionel Messi play in the Argentina-Iceland warm-up match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Argentina prides itself on being more than just world champions. His greatest asset, rather the main crowd puller, remains Lionel Messi – his captain and record scorer.

However, the attacker, now 38, may be elderly. Having played regularly for Inter Miami this season, fatigue and muscle strain have forced him to calculate his match time to keep him fit for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

That was probably the reason he stayed on the bench against Honduras, despite the fact that the crowd chanted: “We want Messi!”

With Argentina now taking on Iceland in their final World Cup warm-up match, the question naturally arises over the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s availability.

Will Lionel Messi play in the Argentina-Iceland warm-up match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Yes, Lionel Messi is expected to play in the 2026 World Cup warm-up match between Argentina and Iceland.

«He’s going to play against Iceland,» Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni told reporters before the match. «What I don’t know is how many minutes. I still have to talk to him during training and see how many minutes he plays to avoid any risk, but in principle he will get minutes,» he added.

Messi is one of the few players to participate in six World Cups, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa. The coach explained that the mere presence of the World Cup-winning captain has a huge impact on the team.

«Hugely important, as always. Not only in the dressing room, when he is on the pitch, everything he translates to his teammates, the atmosphere he creates around him is something incredible,» Scaloni said.

Published on June 10, 2026