Could the defending World Cup champions comprehend the sights and sounds of one of college football’s best atmospheres?

It was a bit of a surreal sight as Lionel Messi and Argentina played Iceland in a pre-World Cup friendly on the campus of Auburn University, cruising to a 3-0 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Messi came on as a second-half substitute in Tuesday’s win in front of a raucous crowd of more than 88,000 on The Plains that’s normally accustomed to big games on Saturdays in the fall. The soccer superstar, who is set to appear in his sixth World Cup tournament, scored a penalty in the win for the Albiceleste.

 It was the second game in a week for the defending World Cup champions at an SEC stadium, having beaten Honduras 2-0 on Saturday at Texas A&M. Messi sat out that game in Aggieland but found time to do a jersey swap with A&M quarterback Marcel Reed.

Argentina heads back to Kansas City to begin its World Cup title defense against Algeria on June 16. The team then travels to Dallas Stadium to play Austria on June 22 and debut squad Jordan on June 27.

2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch

The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps.