Argentina kick off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in the United States this week, but not before one final warm-up — a friendly against Iceland at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Alabama, kicking off at 02:00am BST on Wednesday 10 June 2026 (9:00pm ET on Tuesday).

Lionel Scaloni's side are the reigning world champions, having lifted the trophy in 2022, and arrive at this tournament in strong form after topping the South American qualifying table with 38 points — nine clear of runners-up Ecuador.

Iceland, meanwhile, did not qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026, having now missed out on back-to-back tournaments since their debut appearance at the 2018 finals. Manager Arnar Gunnlaugsson's side come into the friendly on a five-match winless run, their last victory a 2-0 result over Azerbaijan in November. Their most recent outing was a 1-0 defeat against Japan on 31 May, in which Koki Ogawa scored an 87' winner by taking advantage of FIFA's new ten-second rule.

Messi's fitness watch

Lionel Messi returned to the Argentina matchday squad in the previous fixture against Honduras, recovering from a hamstring injury, though he was not used from the bench. The Inter Miami forward is not expected to start against Iceland, but Scaloni may give him minutes late in the game to build momentum ahead of the tournament. Lautaro Martinez and Thiago Almada are expected to lead the attacking line from the start.

How to watch the game

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch Argentina vs Iceland free of charge on ITVX, the online streaming platform operated by ITV. Registration is required but there is no subscription fee. Fans in France can also stream the match free via L'Equipe Live Foot.

In the United States, the match is available on ESPN, which requires an Unlimited subscription starting at $29.99 per month.

FourFourTwo's prediction: Argentina 3-0 Iceland.