Argentina wrapped up their preparations for the World Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Iceland, in a final warm-up that was lit up by the return of Lionel Messi. The captain came off the bench and quickly made his mark, easing fears over his fitness ahead of the tournament. For the defending world champions, it was a confidence-boosting result on the eve of the competition.
The big talking point was Messi's involvement after an injury scare. He had been an unused substitute in Argentina's previous warm-up, a 2-0 victory over Honduras, leaving some doubt over whether he would be ready in time. Against Iceland, he was introduced in the 70th minute and ended up playing around 20 minutes, enough to reassure supporters that he is on track.
It did not take Messi long to influence the game. With his very first touch he was involved in winning a penalty for Argentina, and he then stepped up to take the spot kick himself. He converted it to double his side's lead, capping his return in the most fitting way with a goal that immediately settled any nerves about his condition.
The goal carried extra weight given the timing. Coming so close to the start of the World Cup, and so soon after concerns that he might not be ready, Messi scoring on his return sent a clear message. For a player set to feature at another World Cup, showing he could come on and make an immediate impact was exactly what Argentina needed to see.
Messi was not the only one on the scoresheet, with Argentina sharing the goals around. Valentin Barco and Thiago Almada also found the net to complete the 3-0 victory. The spread of scorers underlined the strength in depth available to the South American side as they finalise their squad and approach for the tournament.
The match was played in front of a huge crowd, adding to the sense of occasion. An 88,000-strong audience packed into Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, in the United States state of Alabama, to watch Argentina in action. The large turnout for a warm-up fixture reflected the enduring pull of Messi and the world champions.
With this win, Argentina close out their pre-tournament schedule on a positive note. As defending champions, they carry both expectation and experience into the competition, and seeing Messi return with a goal will have lifted the mood in the camp. The result rounds off their warm-up matches just as the World Cup gets ready to begin.