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3 min readJun 10, 2026 10:13 PM IST
Argentina forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring on a free kick during the second half of an international friendly match against Iceland, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
A security oversight led to the leaking of passport details of the every Argentina player, including captain Lionel Messi, who were in the squad to face Iceland in a FIFA World Cup warm-up match, a Reuters report stated on Wednesday.
The passport numbers, listed on the official team sheet, should have been blurred before being released to the media and the public. But in Alabama’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, they were circulated without redaction. Reuters has contacted the Argentinian Football Federation and FIFA for comment.
In the match, after recovering from a muscle injury, Messi, the captain of the reigning world champions played 20 minutes and scored a penalty in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Iceland in its final tune-up match before the World Cup.
Messi, recovered from muscle fatigue and a slight strain in his left hamstring that he suffered in his last appearance with Inter Miami on May 24, started the game from the bench.
Just days before his 39th birthday and his sixth World Cup, Messi came on in the 70th minute and he scored a penalty kick after Lautaro Martinez was fouled inside the area.
Messi, the all-time top scorer for the Argentine national team with 117 goals, converted the penalty with a high left-footed shot in the 72nd minute.
“It all happened very quickly,” Messi said after the match. “I felt good, and even though I’m playing for Inter Miami, I never stopped competing, pushing myself. It just happened naturally that I was able to be in most of the national team’s matches.”
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“I don’t think about records, or anything on an individual level, just collective goals. This time I’ll enjoy it with much more peace of mind after having achieved it.”
Argentina, seeking its fourth World Cup title after those won in 1978, 1986, and 2022, will open its tournament against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City in Group J, which also includes Austria and Jordan.
It was the second match between the two nations. The first one was at the 2018 World Cup, when the European side managed a 1-1 draw in which Messi missed a penalty.
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