AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — lionel messi I’m ready for the 6th time world cup.
After recovering from a muscle injury, the reigning world champion captain played 20 minutes and scored a penalty. Argentinian On Tuesday, they defeated Iceland 3-0 in their final pre-World Cup conditioning match.
Messi started the game off the bench after recovering from a muscle strain and a mild left hamstring strain sustained in his last appearance against Inter Miami on May 24.
A few days before his 39th birthday and his sixth World Cup, Messi came on as a substitute in the 70th minute and won a penalty after Lautaro Martinez was fouled in the area.
Messi, Argentina’s all-time leading scorer with 117 goals, converted the penalty in the 72nd minute with a high left-footed shot.
Argentina, aiming for its fourth World Cup title after 1978, 1986 and 2022, will play their opening match against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16th in Group J, which also includes Austria and Jordan.
This was the second match between the two countries. The first incident occurred at the 2018 World Cup, when the European team held out for a 1-1 draw, but Messi missed a penalty kick.
___ AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
