A security oversight has exposed the passport details of every member of the Argentina squad ahead of Tuesday's pre-World Cup warm-up friendly against Iceland, including captain Lionel Messi, according to Reuters.
The passport numbers were included on the official team sheet and were meant to be redacted before being released to the media and public. However, the documents were circulated without blurring at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Alabama, making the sensitive information visible.
Argentina concluded their FIFA World Cup 2026 preparations with a 3-0 win over Iceland in their final warm-up friendly. Despite an early scare after Iceland missed a clear scoring chance, the world champions soon dominated the match.
Valentin Barco opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a striking finish from outside the box. In the second half, Lionel Messi entered from the bench and quickly influenced the game, providing an incisive pass that led to Lautaro Martinez winning a penalty. Messi then calmly scored from the spot in the 72nd minute to double Argentina’s lead.
Thiago Almada sealed the victory in the 86th minute, finishing a well-worked move involving Messi and Martinez that broke down Iceland’s defence.
Argentina will begin their World Cup campaign against Algeria on June 16, followed by matches against Austria and Jordan in Group J.
Argentina’s FIFA World Cup 2026 squad includes:
- Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico de Madrid).
- Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atletico de Madrid), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Otamendi (SL Benfica), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyonnais).
- Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Valentin Barco (RC Strasbourg).
- Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Paz (Como 1907), Thiago Almada (Atletico de Madrid), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico de Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico de Madrid), Lautaro Martinez (Internazionale), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Julian Alvarez (Atletico de Madrid).