NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Could the defending World Cup champions comprehend the sights and sounds of one of the best atmospheres in college football?
It was a slightly surreal sight when Lionel Messi and Argentina played Iceland in a pre-World Cup friendly on the campus of Auburn University, earning a 3-0 victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Messi came on as a second-half substitute in Tuesday’s victory in front of a rowdy crowd of more than 88,000 at The Plains, which is normally used to big games on fall Saturdays. The soccer superstar, who will compete in his sixth World Cup, scored a penalty in the Albiceleste’s victory.
It was the second game in a week for the defending World Cup champions in an SEC stadium, having beaten Honduras 2-0 on Saturday at Texas A&M. Messi missed that game in Aggieland, but found time to swap jerseys with A&M quarterback Marcel Reed.
Argentina returns to Kansas City to begin its World Cup title defense against Algeria on June 16. The team then travels to Dallas Stadium to play Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27.
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to watch
The World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX and FS1 and each match will be streamed live and on-demand within the FOX One and FOX Sports apps.
