Argentina World Cup Prep Hit by Passport Leak; Messi Scores in Win

Argentina's preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 were overshadowed by a security lapse after the passport details of every player in the squad, including Lionel Messi, were leaked before Tuesday's warm-up match against Iceland, Reuters reported.

Security Breach at Jordan-Hare Stadium

The issue occurred at Alabama's Jordan-Hare Stadium, where the official team sheet distributed to the media and the public reportedly contained players' passport numbers. The details should have been blurred before release but were circulated without being redacted.

The incident came ahead of Argentina's final warm-up fixture before the World Cup.

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Match Performance

On the field, Argentina completed their preparations with a 3-0 win over Iceland in front of more than 88,000 spectators.

Messi marked his return from a hamstring injury by scoring within two minutes of coming on in the second half.

The goal came after Lautaro Martinez was fouled inside the penalty area following a through-ball from Messi. Messi converted the penalty to give Argentina a 2-0 lead.

Record for Oldest Goalscorer

The strike also saw Messi become Argentina's oldest goalscorer at the age of 38 years and 11 months, surpassing Angel Labruna's record. Labruna had held the mark since 1957 and was two months younger when he set it.

Argentina will begin the defence of their World Cup title with a Group J match against Algeria on Tuesday.