Auburn and Texas A&M to welcome Messi and the Argentina team for World Cup preparations.
Lionel Messi and the three-time World Cup winners Argentina are set to play two warm-up matches for the 2026 World Cup in the United States. The first match is scheduled for June 6 against Honduras at Texas A&M, followed by a game against Iceland on June 9 at Auburn, as confirmed by the federation on Thursday.
The match on June 6 will take place at Kyle Field, marking the venue’s second international soccer event. In June 2024, Mexico faced Brazil at this stadium, which attracted an audience of 85,249.
“We are excited to welcome international soccer back to College Station,” stated John Nichols, the mayor of College Station, in a news release. “Events like this highlight our capability to host on a global level and provide our community and visitors with the opportunity to experience something truly remarkable right here at home.”
The match against Iceland on June 9 will occur at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, making it the first international soccer game in the stadium’s 87-year history.
“Having the reigning FIFA World Cup champions select Auburn as the location for their final match before defending their title is a significant accomplishment and an extraordinary opportunity for Auburn Athletics and Auburn University,” remarked John Cohen, Auburn’s athletics director, in a news release. “This exhibition between Argentina and Iceland will draw global attention and visibility to Auburn and our community.”
In their only previous encounter with Iceland, Argentina was held to an unexpected 1-1 draw during the opening match of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The defending World Cup champions will subsequently head to their base camp at the training facility of MLS club Sporting KC to prepare for their initial Group J matches on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri, June 22 against Austria in Arlington, Texas, and June 27 against Jordan in Arlington, Texas.
