AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Lionel Messi is ready for his sixth World Cup. After recovering from a muscle injury, the captain of the reigning world champions played 20 minutes and scored a penalty in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Iceland on Tuesday in its final tune-up match before the World Cup.

The 2026 World Cup is expected to be the last in which we see Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo competing against each other. Ronaldo is already 41 years old, while Inter Miami star Messi is 38, making it unlikely that either will feature at the tournament in 2030.

Which players will lead their teams in goals scored during the 2026 FIFA World Cup? Here's the latest.

Lionel Messi jumped on the field, and in just three minutes, scored from the penalty spot against Iceland to extend Argentina's lead in their last friendly prior to the World Cup. Lionel Messi started the match against Iceland off the bench as part of a careful strategy by head coach Lionel Scaloni to manage his workload and avoid any potential injury setbacks.

The 2026 World Cup arrives at a turning point for the sport. It will likely mark the final tournament appearances for generational stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Luka Modrić,

We're tracking Lionel Messi's goals and top moments for Inter Miami and the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Here's the latest.

Spain beat Peru 3-1 in their final World Cup warm-up match on Monday, giving thousands of fans in Puebla a glimpse of one of the tournament favourites days before the global showpiece begins. Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring after two minutes with a fierce strike from the edge of the area before Pedri doubled the lead after the half-hour mark,

BBC Sport has launched live match updates - bringing you your team's score directly to your phone lock screen.