Argentina vs. Iceland—International Friendly: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

The World Cup holders conclude their preparations for the upcoming tournament against European minnows.

Argentina faces off against Iceland. | Instagram/afaseleccion/MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP/Getty Images

Argentina wraps up its 2026 World Cup preparations by facing FIFA’s 75th-ranked nation, Iceland, in Auburn on Tuesday night.

The world champions are out to make history in North America this summer by becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup. France came mightily close in Qatar, but was edged out by a Lionel Messi-inspired Albiceleste with destiny on its side.

Argentina’s build-up to the World Cup has hardly been ideal, especially after Lionel Scaloni’s side breezed through qualifying. They haven’t been tested against far inferior opponents, and that trend looks set to continue immediately before the tournament.

Honduras was cast aside last time out, and Iceland is unlikely to put up much resistance either. This is not the same Iceland team that stunned the soccer world at Euro 2016 by reaching the quarterfinals, then subsequently became the smallest nation by population to reach the World Cup finals in 2018.

Iceland failed to qualify for this summer’s tournament by finishing third in a group comprising France, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

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Argentina vs. Iceland Score Prediction

Argentina Cruises to Victory

Argentina defends its crown in North America this summer. | RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images

These two teams met during Iceland’s sole World Cup appearance eight years ago. An underwhelming Argentina team was held 1–1 by the Nordics, who performed admirably in Russia but failed to escape a competitive group.

Who knows when Iceland will be back in the big time? Supporters certainly enjoyed their time in the sun while it lasted.

Few are bullish on Argentina’s chances this summer, with history certainly counting against them. Preparations have been sub-par, and many will wonder if Messi, now 38, can have the same impact as he did in Qatar. Having conquered his final peak at the previous tournament, is the motivation there?

• Lionel Messi’s back: Some have questioned whether this Argentina team will coalesce around Messi to the glorious extent they did three-and-a-half years ago. Despite these concerns, there‘s unlikely to be a major downing of tools. When Messi’s present, there’s a distinct lift. The 38-year-old will feature on Monday night, having shown during qualifying and in Major League Soccer (MLS) that there’s been no major decline despite fitness concerns.
• Iceland’s form: Iceland drew with France in qualifying but ultimately came up short. Since that 2–2 draw last October, it has won just one of its next six games. Mexico ran out 4–0 winners in February and Haiti earned a result in March. Japan was the victor last time out.
• Stout Argentina: It’s hard to gauge exactly where this Argentina team is at, given the level of its most recent opponents. Still, it has had few issues defensively. Since qualifying drew to a close last September, Argentina has played six games, all against minnows, and conceded just once. 72 spots in the FIFA rankings separate it from its upcoming opponents.

Prediction: Argentina 2–0 Iceland

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Argentina Predicted Lineup vs. Iceland

Lionel Messi should feature against Iceland. | FotMob

Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that Lionel Messi will feature against Iceland, having not been risked in Argentina’s first World Cup warm-up match. It’s not yet clear how many minutes the all-time great will get under his belt, with Scaloni aiming to have Messi fully fit for the start of the tournament.

"We're going to distribute the minutes of the players who will play tomorrow to try to avoid any mishaps," Argentina’s manager added. Nico Paz, Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel have all been dealing with minor niggles, but the trio are available for the upcoming friendly.

On the contrary, Julián Álvarez and Leandro Paredes are set to miss out. Scaloni did provide a positive update about the former, though, suggesting that he’ll soon recover from his ankle issue.

Leonardo Balerdi has been forced to withdraw due to a calf injury, and his replacement hasn’t yet been announced. Emiliano Martínez’s broken finger won’t rule him out of the World Cup.

Argentina predicted lineup vs. Iceland (4-4-2): Rulli; Molina, Romero, Martínez, Medina; Simeone, De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernández; Martínez, Paz.

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Iceland Predicted Lineup vs. Argentina

Humble Iceland face the world champions for a second time. | FotMob

Iceland was hardly bereft of stars during its late 2010s heyday, with the bulk of that generation no longer counted upon.

Iceland’s roster is comprised of humble names who ply their trades around Europe. Some may be familiar with center forward Orri Óskarsson, who scored nine times in La Liga for Real Sociedad last season.

Goalkeeper Hákon Valdimarsson is on Brentford’s books, and he made a single appearance in the Premier League last term. He’ll be aiming to shut out some of the world’s best, including Messi, on Tuesday night.

Iceland predicted lineup vs. Argentina (5-4-1): Valdimarsson; Thorhallsson, Grétarsson, Hermannsson, Magnússon, Tómasson; Ellertsson, G. Thordarson, Baldursson, Gudmundsson; Óskarsson.

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What Time Does Argentina vs. Iceland Kick Off?

• Location: Auburn, United States
• Stadium: Jordan-Hare Stadium
• Date: Tuesday, June 9 / Wednesday June 10
• Kick-off Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. BST (June 10)

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How to Watch Argentina vs. Iceland on TV, Live Stream

Country	TV Channel/Live Stream
United States	Fanatiz, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, fuboTV, ESPN App, TyC Sports Internacional, ViX
United Kingdom	ITVX
Argentina	TyC Sports Argentina, Telefe Argentina, TyC Sports Play
Canada	Fanatiz Canada

• MORE: Full list of broadcasters around the world for Argentina vs. Iceland

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