Messi's appearance, his sharpness on the ball, and a remarkable achievement reached during the match ensured that the evening in Alabama became far more significant than a routine pre-tournament friendly. Lionel Messi gave Argentina exactly what it wanted to see ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The captain returned from a recent fitness concern, found the net shortly after coming off the bench, and helped the defending champion secure a comfortable victory over Iceland in its final warm-up match before the tournament. The result itself was encouraging, but there was an even bigger storyline unfolding beneath the surface. Messi’s appearance, his sharpness on the ball, and a remarkable achievement reached during the match ensured that the evening in Alabama became far more significant than a routine pre-tournament friendly. Argentina defeated Iceland 3-0 in Auburn, Alabama, with goals from Valentín Barco, Lionel Messi, and Thiago Almada. The world champion controlled large stretches of the match and ended its preparation schedule on a positive note. Lionel Scaloni opted to manage the workload of several key players. Messi, along with Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, and Alexis Mac Allister, started the match on the bench as Argentina continued its cautious approach ahead of the competition. Iceland threatened early when Mikael Ellertsson missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring. Argentina quickly took control afterward, and Barco broke the deadlock when a loose ball fell kindly for him on the edge of the area. Lionel Messi of Argentina looks on during the international friendly match between Argentina and Iceland The South American side remained patient throughout the first half. Iceland defended with discipline, but Argentina continued to create opportunities and gradually increased the pressure. Messi returns and changes the game The biggest roar of the night arrived when Messi stepped onto the pitch during the closing stages. After concerns surrounding muscle fatigue suffered while playing for Inter Miami, supporters were eager to see whether the captain was fully ready for another World Cup campaign. The answer arrived almost immediately. Within moments of entering the match, Messi played a superb pass that led to Lautaro Martínez being fouled inside the penalty area. The 38-year-old superstar stepped forward and calmly converted from the spot. The goal extended Argentina’s advantage and removed any lingering doubts about his readiness for the tournament. Con la primera pelota de Messi en el juego… ¡PENAL PARA ARGENTINA! ⚽❗ Lo cobra Messi, Argentina aumenta la ventaja 2-0 ante Islandia en el amistoso. pic.twitter.com/HztiSby31x— ESPN Deportes (@ESPNDeportes) June 10, 2026 His influence did not stop there. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner later helped create Argentina’s third goal, combining with Rodrigo De Paul before Thiago Almada finished the move to complete a convincing victory. The historic record revealed While the goal helped secure the result, it also carried historic significance. Messi’s strike was his 117th goal in an Argentina shirt and his 199th international appearance. More importantly, it made him the oldest goalscorer in Argentina national team history, breaking a record that had stood for 69 years. The previous mark belonged to Angel Labruna, who scored for Argentina against Brazil in 1957 at the age of 38 years and nine months. Messi surpassed that achievement at 38 years, 11 months, and 18 days old, adding yet another milestone to an extraordinary international career. The record further highlights the longevity that has defined Messi’s career. Nearly two decades after making his senior debut, he continues to deliver decisive moments for his country on football’s biggest stages.
Lionel Messi jumped on the field, and in just three minutes, scored from the penalty spot against Iceland to extend Argentina's lead in their last friendly prior to the World Cup. Lionel Messi started the match against Iceland off the bench as part of a careful strategy by head coach Lionel Scaloni to manage his workload and avoid any potential injury setbacks ahead of the beginning of the 2026 World Cup. However, it took the superstar just minutes after stepping onto the pitch to make his mark, extending Argentina‘s lead from the penalty spot. Entering the match in the second half immediately following the cooling break in the 70th minute, Messi quickly asserted himself by controlling possession in midfield and slipping a clinical through ball to Lautaro Martinez. Finding himself one-on-one with Elias Olafsson, the striker saw his initial effort nearing the post but managed to draw a penalty after being brought down by the rushing goalkeeper. On just his fourth touch of the match, Messi stepped up to take the spot-kick, and although Olafsson guessed the correct side, the Inter Miami star slotted a precise finish into the top right corner just out of the keeper’s reach. With the conversion, the forward doubled Argentina’s advantage just two minutes after his introduction. Con la primera pelota de Messi en el juego… ¡PENAL PARA ARGENTINA! ⚽❗ Lo cobra Messi, Argentina aumenta la ventaja 2-0 ante Islandia en el amistoso. pic.twitter.com/HztiSby31x— ESPN Deportes (@ESPNDeportes) June 10, 2026 With the strike, Messi inflated his staggering international tallies to 117 goals and 61 assists in 198 caps, while simultaneously reaching 911 all-time career goals. His impact didn’t stop there, either; the captain orchestrated Argentina’s third and final goal of the evening, dropping a perfectly weighted ball into the box to Rodrigo De Paul, who squared it for Thiago Almada to tap home and wrap up the 3-0 victory just one week before their World Cup debut. Messi breaks 69-year-old record with Argentina Messi has already claimed countless records throughout his legendary career for both club and country, and he stands a chance to shatter even more during the 2026 World Cup. Yet, even before the tournament officially kicks off, the talismanic forward has already rewritten the history books by eclipsing an international milestone that had stood for nearly seven decades. By finding the back of the net against Iceland, Lionel Messi became the oldest player ever to score a goal for the Argentina national team. The legendary playmaker now claims sole possession of the record at 38 years, 11 months, and 14 days old. The historic benchmark was originally established by iconic striker Angel Labruna back on July 7, 1957, and for the last 69 years, no one had been able to dethrone him until now. The legendary River Plate forward had set the record during a 2-1 friendly victory over bitter rivals Brazil, scoring at the age of 38 years, 9 months, and 8 days old.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has delivered a positive update regarding Lionel Messi's fitness, revealing that the captain could feature in the upcoming warm-up matches ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The physical conditioning of Lionel Messi has undoubtedly been the primary concern for Lionel Scaloni and his coaching staff ahead of their 2026 World Cup defense. However, the Albiceleste manager has injected immense calm into the camp by providing a very positive update on the captain, suggesting he could see minutes on the pitch sooner than expected. Messi recently suffered hamstring fatigue during Inter Miami’s Major League Soccer victory over Philadelphia Union. Upon joining the national team camp, the forward was immediately placed on a specialized, individual training program to prioritize his recovery and avoid any risk of a tear. Speaking to the media during his latest press conference, Scaloni revealed that Messi’s recovery has taken a significant leap forward, as he has already rejoined a portion of full squad training. “Leo is doing well. He has already trained for part of the session with the main group, which is a massive step forward. He is no longer working entirely on his own,” Scaloni explained. Lionel Messi #10 participates during a team Argentina training session. (Getty Images) While initial reports out of Argentina heavily suggested that Messi would be completely rested for the upcoming friendlies against Honduras and Iceland, the tactician refused to rule him out. Instead, Scaloni indicated that the captain might actually see the pitch during this double-match window. “He is progressing quite nicely, to the point where he could play a part in these two friendlies for a few minutes. We will evaluate whether that happens tomorrow against Honduras or in the following match, but he feels much better, and that gives us tremendous peace of mind”. he continued. Scaloni warns of potential World Cup roster changes While the update on Messi was incredibly bright, Argentina’s broader fitness landscape heading into the World Cup is far more complicated. Although no squad member has been ruled out with a long-term injury, several key players are currently far from 100% fitness, prompting Scaloni to issue a strict warning regarding the final 26-man roster. “We are entirely certain that if someone is not physically right, they will be left out of the tournament; we are very clear on that. For now, we are managing it well, monitoring everyone and taking zero risks. When the final week arrives and we have to ramp up the intensity, that is when we will make the necessary tough decisions. We will see how the recovery plans progress,” the manager warned. Aside from Messi’s muscle fatigue, six other players have been forced to train away from the main group due to various physical setbacks, including Julian Alvarez (ankle), Nahuel Molina (muscle tear), Gonzalo Montiel (muscle tear), Leandro Paredes (muscle tear), Emiliano Martinez (fractured finger) and Nico Paz (minor fracture in his right knee). Scaloni concluded by stating that the upcoming week will serve as the ultimate litmus test for the reigning world champions, as the medical staff prepares to push the players’ bodies to full match capacity. “Next week will be crucial and will give us a much clearer picture. We are going to lift the workload and see exactly how those training separately respond to the intensity,” he added.
Lionel Messi and Son Heung-min are headlining a historic World Cup for Major League Soccer, as a record-breaking contingent pushes MLS to seventh among all global leagues in player representation. Lionel Messi and Son Heung-min have become the most visible symbols of a league that is now capable of attracting global stars and expanding its footprint on the international stage. In a concrete reflection of that evolution, MLS has ranked seventh among all leagues worldwide in the number of players competing at the 2026 World Cup. As confirmed by MLS, 44 players from the league will be representing their countries in the tournament. Those players come from 21 different MLS clubs and will feature for 17 different national teams. The club lending the most players is LAFC. Among their international contingent, Mathieu Choiniere, Stephen Eustaquio and Jacob Shaffelburg will represent Canada in Group B, while Son Heung-min will captain South Korea in Group A, making the Boys in Gold the most represented MLS club on the world stage. Beyond LAFC, eight additional MLS clubs will have three players each at the tournament. Among them is Inter Miami, which has contributed Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul to Argentina‘s title defense, along with goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair to Canada’s squad. Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF reacts with teammates Dayne St. Clair #97 and Rodrigo De Paul #7. According to The Athletic‘s Tom Bogert, the 44 players represent the most MLS has ever contributed to a single World Cup in the league’s history, good for seventh overall in the global league rankings. For context, 19 MLS players traveled to Russia for the 2018 edition and 32 made the trip to Qatar in 2022, making 2026 a record-breaking milestone for the league. MLS still far from the top MLS’s rise as one of the more prominent leagues in the international player supply chain reflects the growing quality and credibility of the competition, sitting as the second league with more players in the World Cup apart from the top five European leagues. However, the gap between it and Europe’s elite remains significant. The Premier League leads all leagues globally, with 183 players heading to the World Cup from England’s top flight, according to the league’s official website. Manchester City alone is lending 19 players to national teams representing Algeria, Belgium, Croatia, Egypt, England, France, Ghana, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Uzbekistan, underscoring the sheer depth of the world’s most high-profile domestic competition.
Despite being linked with Lionel Messi's side, Inter Miami will face multiple obstacles to pull off Casemiro's signing in the summer transfer window. Casemiro has emerged as Inter Miami’s primary target over the last few months, with the veteran Brazilian midfielder representing a massive potential upgrade for a squad desperately lacking an elite holding midfielder. However, for the former Manchester United star to officially become Lionel Messi‘s newest teammate, the MLS franchise will have to navigate several complex roster obstacles along the way. With his contract expiring in June, Casemiro has already announced his departure from Old Trafford at the conclusion of the 2025-26 European season, devastating United fans who hoped to see him for one more year. At present, the midfielder has reported to Brazil’s training camp ahead of the 2026 World Cup and is deferring any official announcement regarding his next destination, though all signs point to South Florida. According to transfer insider Ben Jacobs, Casemiro prefers a move to Inter Miami to continue his illustrious career, and the MLS side is already closing in on a deal. Still, if the Herons want to cross the finish line, they will have to get creative with the league’s roster rules, as financial constraints aren’t the only hurdles blocking the transaction. The roster hurdles complicating Casemiro’s arrival The most glaring issue for Inter Miami is their current lack of an open Designated Player slot, as Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, and recently acquired forward Germán Berterame currently occupy the club’s three designated spots. However, this may not be a dealbreaker; Jacobs reports that verbal terms are nearing completion on a structure where Casemiro would sign a team-friendly contract for his first year before transitioning into a DP slot via a non-guaranteed extension option. Casemiro of Manchester United reacts during his last game at Old Trafford. Even under that flexible scenario, Inter Miami are under intense pressure to generate General Allocation Money (GAM). According to official MLS data from March, a highly aggressive winter transfer window left the Herons with just $17,361 in available GAM, meaning that without a DP tag, Casemiro’s initial salary cannot exceed the league’s maximum budget charge of $1.8 million per season. To manufacture the necessary cap space, Inter Miami will likely be forced to offload talent, potentially targeting young first-team players who have yet to fully cement their roles, such as Yannick Bright, David Ruiz, or Telasco Segovia. The club has already taken its first structural step toward clearing the books with Benjamin Cremaschi’s reported permanent transfer to Serie A side Parma, though more outgoings are expected before the summer window shuts. Finally, while not strictly a salary-cap issue, Inter Miami will face an additional financial tax by having to buy Casemiro’s Discovery Rights from the LA Galaxy. The Brazilian veteran has already informed the Galaxy of his exclusive desire to join Miami, which prevents a prolonged bidding war, but the Herons will still need to send a compensation fee to Los Angeles to officially unlock his signature. Ever since Sergio Busquets stepped away from the game last season, Inter Miami has struggled to find a reliable anchor in the center of the park, with David Ayala falling short of expectations and the team currently leaning on a double pivot of Bright and De Paul. While Casemiro’s defensive bite would be an instant game-changer for Messi’s side, front-office executives face a frantic couple of weeks to sort out the financial mathematics required to make it a reality.
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami have reportedly taken the decision to leave Guillermo Hoyos as the head coach until the end of the 2026 MLS season. Lionel Messi has been one of the driving forces behind Inter Miami‘s recovery during a stretch of the season that included the departure of head coach Javier Mascherano. Now, ahead of the second half of the 2026 MLS campaign, the forward will receive a significant boost with Guillermo Hoyos reportedly confirmed as the club’s head coach through the end of the season. Mascherano stepped down from the Inter Miami head coaching role on April 14, citing personal reasons, following an inconsistent run of form in MLS and the club’s early elimination from the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Inter Miami board responded by transitioning Guillermo Hoyos from his sporting director role into the head coaching position on an interim basis. According to Fabrizio Romano, Hoyos will now remain in the dugout for the remainder of the 2026 season, making his appointment permanent through the end of the campaign. He had initially been expected to serve only until the World Cup break, but the board has since decided to keep him at the helm. Recent speculation had placed Pep Guardiola, who announced his departure from Manchester City at the end of the 2025-26 season, as a potential candidate for the Inter Miami project backed by David Beckham. However, the Spanish coach chose to step away from club management entirely after a decade at the Mancunian side, taking himself out of contention. Guillermo Hoyos, Head Coach of Inter Miami, chats with Facundo Mura. With Hoyos confirmed through the end of the season, he is now set to oversee the remaining 19 games on Inter Miami’s 2026 MLS regular-season schedule, along with three Leagues Cup matches and the 2026 Campeones Cup against the Liga MX champion. That total of 23 games could grow further depending on how far the Herons advance in each competition. Messi and Inter Miami’s record under Hoyos During the first part of the 2026 season under Mascherano, Inter Miami fell well short of the standard they had set when claiming the MLS Cup at the end of 2025. From the moment Hoyos took over, however, the team hit a new gear, and none more so than Messi himself. Since Hoyos’ debut in charge against the Colorado Rapids on April 18, Inter Miami have posted six wins, one draw and one defeat, the best start to a managerial tenure in the club’s history. For context, among a list of predecessors that includes Diego Alonso, Phil Neville, Javier Morales, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, and Mascherano, it was Martino who previously held that record with four wins, one draw and two defeats across his first seven games. As for Messi, the Argentine captain has been in exceptional form since Hoyos took over, a reunion with a man who knew him from his early days at FC Barcelona. Across eight appearances under the new coach, Messi has contributed seven goals and seven assists, cementing his status as the leading candidate for the MLS Player of the Month award for May.
After a historic spell at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola decided to step aside and leave the club. In light of this move, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF reportedly approached him with a contract offer, but the Spanish manager opted for a professional break. Despite becoming the most successful manager in the history of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola decided to leave the club at the end of the season. As a legendary figure, he has received multiple approaches to coach during the 2026–27 season. Taking advantage of his close relationship with Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF reportedly offered the Spanish manager a contract, but he decided to reject it in order to focus on a professional break. According to Jeremy Cross, via Daily Mail, David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami CF, made inquiries with Pep Guardiola to find out whether he would be interested in coaching in MLS. Despite the presence of Lionel Messi, the Spanish manager made it clear that he does not want to coach again in the short term. While they hoped to convince him during the 2026 World Cup, Pep has decided not to take part, stepping away from the sport for some time. Without the possibility of signing Pep Guardiola, Inter Miami CF seem determined to keep head coach Guillermo Hoyos. Despite the difficult challenge of replacing Javier Mascherano, he has managed to guide the team to a series of victories that have them chasing the top spot in the MLS Eastern Conference. Not only have Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez shone, but so has Germán Berterame, who had a difficult start to the season. Messi is now a veteran player, and Guardiola does not appear destined for a reunion with the ‘greatest player in history’ as he labels him. Since his departure from Barcelona in 2012, both stars have not reunited. However, this is the second time such a reunion has been attempted, as the Argentine reportedly asked to leave the Blaugranas for Manchester City during the presidency of Josep Maria Bartomeu, but the move never became a reality. Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona (R) shakes hands with his Head coach Josep Guardiola. Pep Guardiola’s professional future could lie with a national team Throughout his professional career, Pep Guardiola has left an unforgettable mark on every team he has managed. Not only at FC Barcelona and Manchester City, but also at FC Bayern Munich. After winning everything at the highest level of European club soccer, he has decided to take a professional break. However, the Spanish manager could return after some time, but to take charge of a national team. Guardiola reportedly revealed to his close circle his willingness to manage England in the future. Despite this, they still have Thomas Tuchel under contract until 2028, meaning he would have to wait a few years for such an opportunity. However, Pep is reportedly being constantly tempted by Italy, who see him as the ideal figure to rebuild the sporting project. After the 2026 World Cup, numerous national teams could add their interest in the Spanish manager.
