By: Odeh Favour Adiya
Football maestro Lionel Messi has once again proven why he is regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the game, scoring within mere minutes of his return from an injury scare. The sensational performance helped Argentina secure a comfortable 3-0 victory over Iceland on Tuesday, in their final World Cup warm-up match played in Auburn, Alabama.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner started the highly anticipated match from the bench, as team handlers carefully eased him back to full fitness. Fans had been worried after Messi was forced to exit Inter Miami’s recent 6-4 thriller against Philadelphia on May 24, citing muscle fatigue.
With an expectant 88,000-capacity crowd roaring in the stadium, Argentina’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, chose to field an experimental starting lineup.
This tactical move left other heavyweights like Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, and Alexis Mac Allister joining Messi on the sidelines at the blast of the referee’s whistle.
Iceland almost shocked the South American giants in the opening minutes of the encounter. Mikael Egill Ellertsson found himself with a gaping goal in front of him but completely blasted his effort over the crossbar, a costly miss they would soon regret.
Punishing the Europeans for their wastefulness, the three-time world champions quickly took an early lead. The opening goal came after Iceland’s defense could only partially clear a chaotic goalmouth scramble inside their box, allowing Strasbourg defender Valentin Barco to capitalize and fire a clinical shot straight into the bottom corner.
Desperate to extend their lead before the half-time break, young prospect Nico Paz was handed a golden opportunity to shine in Messi’s absence. However, his powerful strike was dramatically repelled by the face of Iceland’s goalkeeper, Elias Olafsson.
The second half saw Scaloni ring the changes, introducing five fresh players at the break, including midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister. Standard striker Lautaro Martinez also entered the fray but endured a frustrating spell, agonizingly hitting the goalpost twice when he really should have doubled Argentina’s advantage.
The stadium finally erupted in the final quarter of the game when Messi made his grand appearance. He instantly made his presence felt; with his very first involvement, he delivered a brilliant pass to Martinez, who chipped the ball wide just as he was wiped out by the Icelandic goalkeeper.
The legendary forward then took matters into his own hands, making no mistake as he slotted home his 117th international goal in what marked his 199th cap for his country.
Not satisfied with just a goal, the Inter Miami star was heavily involved again for Argentina’s third and final nail in the coffin. Messi unleashed a defence-splitting pass to feed Rodrigo De Paul, who quickly squared the ball for Thiago Almada to easily tap into the net.
With this supreme 20-minute cameo, Messi has effectively allayed any lingering fears about his match fitness as he prepares to feature in his historic sixth World Cup tournament. Argentina is scheduled to begin the defense of their World Cup title against Algeria on June 16, before locking horns with Austria and Jordan in Group J.
