Lionel Messi has been benched for Argentina’s final FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match against Iceland despite Scaloni earlier confirming he would feature. Messi is continuing to recover from a hamstring issue and his team would hope that he gains full fitness before their opening game of the tournament.

Regardless of how Argentina performs in the 2026 World Cup, it is going to be hard to miss Lionel Messi during the FIFA tournament. Messi continues to announce new brand deals seemingly each day as the World Cup nears its start on Thursday, June 11.

For years, Lionel Messi earned millions playing for Barcelona, where he spent more than a decade as one of the The How Lionel Messi Built His Billion-Dollar Fortune first appeared on The Blast

In a sixth World Cup for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, could the pair finally face each other in the tournament?

Lionel Messi is days away from another piece of history. When Argentina opens its FIFA World Cup campaign on June 16, Messi will become the first player ever to appear in six World Cup tournaments. It is a remarkable milestone for a player whose international career has already delivered virtually every achievement imaginable.

Last time, Lionel Messi walked away with both the World Cup trophy and the Golden Ball. This year, the Argentine legend faces several competitors in his quest to become the player of the tournament once again.