Lionel Messi’s passport details leaked ahead of Argentina’s World Cup title defense

NEW DELHI: Argentina’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been overshadowed by a reported security breach that exposed passport details of all players in the squad, including captain Lionel Messi.According to Reuters, the passport numbers appeared on the official team sheet distributed before Argentina’s warm-up game against Iceland in Alabama. Sensitive information was supposed to be redacted before being shared with the media and public, but the documents were reportedly released without blurring the details, making the players’ passport details visible.Despite the off-pitch controversy, Argentina ended their World Cup build-up with an impressive 3-0 win over Iceland in their final warm-up game.The world champions survived an early scare when Iceland missed a good chance in the opening minutes. Argentina then took control of the game, Valentin Barco opening the scoring in the eighth minute with a powerful strike from outside the penalty area.Lionel Messi started on the bench but made an immediate impact after coming on in the second half. His through ball helped Lautaro Martinez earn a penalty which Messi converted in the 72nd minute to double Argentina’s lead.

Eyes on the World Cup

Thiago Almada added the third goal in the 86th minute after a slick save by Messi and Lautaro Martinez to seal a comfortable win for Argentina.With the warm-up matches completed, Argentina is now focusing on the World Cup. They open their campaign against Algeria on June 16 before facing Austria and Jordan in Group J.The reigning champions will be hoping the passport data breach remains an isolated incident as they focus on defending their title on football’s biggest stage.