Lionel Messi shines as Auburn hosts record crowd for soccer game in Alabama
Reading time: 3 minutes
Jordan-Hare Stadium found itself in an unfamiliar spotlight Tuesday night as the eyes of the international soccer world were on The Plains.
Lionel Messi and the reigning World Cup champion Argentina were in town, bringing a wave of Argentine supporters + soccer fans from around the world.
And after a couple of hours of heavy rain, more than 80,000 fans got into the stadium to watch la Albiceleste defeat Iceland 3-0 in its final tune-up match before the 2026 World Cup.
New record attendance for soccer in Alabama
A couple of hours of heavy rain threatened to dampen the mood in Auburn but a late kickoff allowed the skies to clear up for the match to stay on schedule.
Despite the rain, the crowd still showed up as soon as the gates opened.
Auburn officially announced a sellout crowd of 88,043 which officially set a new state record for the largest crowd in Alabama for a soccer match
It beat the previous record of 83,183 that saw the United States play Argentina at Legion Field during the 1996 Olympics.
20 minutes + 1 goal for Lionel Messi
It was not just Argentina fans locked into Tuesday night’s match as Lionel Messi returned from a small injury scare just before the start of the World Cup.
Messi did not start against Iceland but came off the bench to a huge ovation. He was used as a substitution in the 70th minute and it did not take him long to make an impact.
After his teammate won a penalty, Messi calmly slotted his shot into the corner to double Argentina’s lead. It was his 117th international goal of his career.
“He’s the leader of the team, he’s the leader of the nation. It gave the crowd a lift. They came to see him play.”
Arnar Gunnlaugsson, Iceland manager
40 hours until the 2026 World Cup
When the game wrapped up Tuesday night, there was just 40 hours (less now!) until the 2026 Men’s World Cup officially kicks off. Mexico hosts South Africa in the opening game Thursday afternoon.
Argentina will be back in action in Kansas City on June 16 for the first game of the group stage. Iceland did not qualify for the World Cup this summer.
Looking for the US national team’s schedule:
- June 12: Paraguay, 8PM
- June 19: Australia, 2PM
- June 25: Turkey, 9PM
