7M - International Friendlies Preview: Argentina vs Iceland - prediction, team news, lineups

As the World Cup 2026 draws closer, reigning champions Argentina will step up their tournament preparations on Wednesday when they face Iceland in an international friendly at the Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. Lionel Scaloni's side is aiming to secure a seventh consecutive triumph in midweek, while the visitors travel to America hoping to bounce back from a poor run of form and avoid successive defeats.

Match Preview

Argentina memorably lifted the World Cup trophy back in 2022, largely driven by the brilliance of their legendary talisman Lionel Messi, and the holders are highly motivated to further elevate his unmatched footballing legacy this summer. La Seleccion comfortable punched their ticket to the 2026 finals way back in March 2025. Even though they stumbled to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Ecuador in their final qualifying match, Scaloni's men comfortably topped the highly competitive South American standings with an exceptional 38 points, finishing a substantial nine points clear of the nearest runners-up.

Supporters heading to Alabama for Wednesday's clash can feel confident about their team's clinical touch, with Argentina racking up a prolific 18 goals over their past six fixtures. Fans will naturally be demanding another statement performance as the group builds critical momentum.

Historically, these two nations have only crossed paths once on the senior international stage, playing out a tense 1-1 draw during the opening group phase of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In that memorable fixture, Sergio Aguero's opener was swiftly canceled out by Alfred Finnbogason, before Icelandic goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson famously denied a second-half Lionel Messi penalty to preserve a historic point for the underdogs.

In stark contrast to the flying world champions, Iceland arrive at this fixture on the back of an incredibly testing period. Strakamir Okkar have found positive results exceptionally hard to come by over the last few months, managing to register just a single victory across their previous nine outings.

Faced with such a daunting run, squad morale has taken a noticeable hit. Manager Arnar Gunnlaugsson knows his side faces a massive defensive test on Wednesday, and they will need to discover an elite level of tactical discipline if they are to successfully contain one of the most potent attacking operations in world football.

Team News

Argentina captain Lionel Messi gave fans a massive boost by returning to the matchday squad for the weekend fixture against Honduras following his recovery from a troublesome hamstring problem, though he ultimately remained an unused substitute. The 38-year-old forward is highly unlikely to be risked in the starting eleven on Wednesday, but Scaloni may look to hand him a brief second-half cameo from the bench to help build his competitive match fitness ahead of the World Cup opening fixtures.

In his place, Lautaro Martinez and Thiago Almada are tipped to lead the line as the starting strike partnership, flanked by the versatile duo of Giuliano Simeone and Nico Gonzalez. Right-back Gonzalo Montiel is gradually working his way back to maximum fitness following a minor muscle strain, meaning youngster Augustin Giay could get the nod to join Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, and Nicolas Tagliafico in the back four. Between the posts, Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Juan Musso is expected to start again, though Aston Villa's regular number one Emiliano Martinez has returned to ball training following a broken finger and is closing in on a return.

For Iceland, goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson will be braced for an incredibly busy evening as he attempts to keep the world champions at bay. He will heavily rely on a compact defensive back three consisting of Daniel Gretarsson, Hjortur Hermannsson, and Hordur Magnusson to provide maximum protection.

At the other end of the pitch, Gunnlaugsson is expected to deploy Real Sociedad's rising forward Orri Oskarsson as a lone striker, hoping the young attacker can maximize whatever limited opportunities fall his way on the counter-attack.

Possible Lineups

Argentina possible starting lineup:
Musso; Giay, Romero, Martinez, Tagliafico; Simeone, Mac Allister, Fernandez, Gonzalez; Martinez, Almada 

Iceland possible starting lineup:
Valdimarsson; Thorhallsson, Gretarsson, Hermannsson, Magnusson, Tomasson; Ellertsson, G Thordarson, Baldursson, Gudmundsson; Oskarsson 

Prediction: Argentina 3-0 Iceland

Argentina are playing with immense confidence and fluency ahead of Wednesday's exhibition, and even with Lionel Messi likely starting on the bench, La Seleccion have more than enough elite quality to dictate the terms of this match.

Iceland are trapped in a severe slump with only one victory from their last nine games, and their low confidence makes a monumental upset highly improbable. Argentina's attacking depth should ensure a routine and comfortable victory in Alabama.