Argentina’s World Cup preparation has gone superbly: after Honduras, La Albiceleste have now beaten Iceland. Having taken a hundred percent record from the warm-up matches, Lionel Messi wants the winning run carried into the World Cup proper — and called on his teammates to play as a team.
Argentina had beaten Honduras 2-0, a match Messi sat out to avoid injury risk. Against Iceland in the early hours of Wednesday, he came on in the 69th minute — and found a goal just 119 seconds later, finishing flawlessly from the penalty spot at Jordan-Hare Stadium at Auburn University, Alabama. Argentina won 3-0. After contributing to the win, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was active on social media too: posting several photos from the match on Instagram, he closed with a message of unity for the squad ahead of the World Cup: “Let’s keep going, more united than ever.”
Argentina open their Group J campaign against Algeria on 17 June, and the Iceland win was an important confidence-builder before the title-defence mission begins. The goal was Messi’s 117th in an Argentina shirt — and it set a new record: scoring at 38 years, 11 months and 18 days, he became the oldest goalscorer in Argentina’s history, surpassing the legendary forward Angel Labruna, known as “El Feo,” who scored against Brazil in the 1957 Roca Cup at 38 years, 9 months and 10 days.
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