Overview
- Argentina face Iceland at Jordan‑Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, in a FIFA friendly that kicks off Tuesday evening as their final match before the 16 June World Cup opener.
- Coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed Lionel Messi will play some minutes in the friendly but did not specify how long to protect the captain’s fitness for the tournament.
- Several regulars are being managed for knocks — including Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, Emiliano Martínez and Julián Álvarez — and the staff will use the match to assess their readiness.
- Scaloni said he expects to name Balerdi’s replacement soon after the Iceland match with a decision likely by Wednesday, and he has not ruled out calling a midfielder instead of another centre‑back.
- Broadcasting is confirmed in Argentina on TyC Sports and Telefe and in the United States on ESPN/ESPN Deportes and fuboTV, while some international transmission rights remain listed as not yet confirmed.