They upset Argentina in a group stage, are 75th and face them pre-WC | OneFootball

Neither Serbia, nor Guatemala, nor World Cup-qualified teams. In the end, the Argentina national team will face Iceland in its final match before the start of the World Cup. Beyond the Icelanders, Lionel Scaloni’s team will also go up against Honduras during the double FIFA match window that will open for friendlies in the days leading up to the World Cup.

Honduras will be the opponent on June 6 in Texas, and the final send-off will be against Iceland on Tuesday the 9th, in Alabama. After both friendly matches in the United States, the defending world champion will begin its World Cup journey on Tuesday, June 16 against Algeria, though not before facing the Nordic side.

As for Iceland, the European team will arrive for the friendly against Argentina ranked 75th in the FIFA rankings, and it will be only the second meeting between the two national teams, following the bitter memory they left La Albiceleste at the 2018 World Cup.

Back then, the team coached by Jorge Sampaoli was making its World Cup debut and drew 1-1 in that tournament in Russia. Argentina’s goal was scored by Sergio Agüero, in a match in which Lionel Messi missed a penalty. Iceland’s goal was scored by Alfreð Finnbogason, who at the time played for Germany’s Augsburg.

In the end, in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup—its first appearance in a tournament of that magnitude—Iceland was eliminated in the opening round, as Argentina and Croatia advanced. Even so, that draw against La Albiceleste remains a historic result for the Nordic nation.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.