Lionel Messi comes off bench, scores in Argentina’s final friendly

Lionel Messi came off the bench in the 70th minute and scored a penalty in the 72nd minute — his 117th international goal — as Argentina defeated Iceland 3-0 in a World Cup tune-up friendly on Tuesday in Auburn, Alabama. Valentin Barco and Thiago Almeda also scored, giving Argentina a 5-0 aggregate score across their two pre-World Cup friendlies. The 38-year-old Messi, returning from left hamstring soreness that had kept him out of the previous friendly against Honduras, is set to appear in a record-equalling sixth World Cup alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, with Argentina opening Group J play against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City.