Auburn Tigers Host Lionel Messi, Argentina National Team in Historic Night

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon in the United States, the global eye was on one place on Tuesday night: Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.

In both teams’ final friendly before beginning their World Cup group-stage matches, Argentina and Iceland played a friendly at Auburn, where the football program hosts its games. Argentina won the contest, 3-0.

Jordan-Hare Stadium was packed with 88,043 fans during the week to watch the two international teams compete, setting a state record. Tuesday’s contest was the largest soccer match in Alabama history, surpassing the 1996 Olympic matchup between Argentina and the United States in Birmingham.

The star of the show, of course, was forward Lionel Messi, who entered the stadium with most eyes looking for him on the field. He didn’t play until the 70th minute of the contest, but it was more than being on the bench in College Station on June 6. Two minutes later, he would boot in a penalty to send Jordan-Hare Stadium into a frenzy.

Auburn football and men’s basketball teams also made plans to watch the game. Head coach Alex Golesh and quarterback Byrum Brown were among notable figures who spent their Tuesday night at the field they’ll be playing on in just a few months.

Fútbol! ⚽️

War Eagle! 🦅 pic.twitter.com/vuv2STdsrJ
— Alex Golesh (@CoachGolesh) June 10, 2026

Plenty of Argentina fans made the trip to the Plains to begin the week of World Cup excitement. Auburn fans, typically known for a college football atmosphere, had their world turned upside down with a blend of international fans looking forward to the 48-team tournament that will take place across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

THIS IS SO COOL
ARGENTINA 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/jvdY5LLkZM
— AUBURN SUPERFAN #2 (@MichaelFloyd_AU) June 9, 2026

The melting pot of fans was just a preview of what will take place between June 11 and July 19 in North America.

Argentina’s other two goals were scored by Valentin Barco and Thiago Almada. Barco scored a half-volley from outside the box off of a set piece, while Almada placed in a left-footed shot on a fast break to finish up play before defending the World Cup crown.

Auburn blended tradition with international fame during the contest as well. The athletic program did its typical “War Eagle” chant to begin the contest. Then, at halftime, “Swag Surf” was played to show out-of-town fans how the Tigers do their Saturdays in the fall.

If Auburn fans don’t have World Cup fever after watching the culture and sport collide on Tuesday, then perhaps the next six weeks could sway their opinion.

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