[Roundup] FIFA World Cup 2026 Pre-Tournament International Friendlies 6/9–6/10 Full Results — Spain Beat Peru 3-1, Argentina Blank Iceland with Messi Goal, Congo Fall to Chile
International friendly matches played on 6/9–6/10 local time, just ahead of World Cup 2026. Title contenders Spain defeated Peru 3-1, while champions Argentina shut out Iceland 3-0, including a Messi penalty. World Cup participant DR Congo lost 1-2 to non-qualifier Chile. Iceland, who Japan defeated 5/31, fell 0-3 to Argentina. A full recap of all results, scorers, highlights, and areas of concern.
Just before WC 2026 kicks off, international friendly matches serving as the final tune-ups for participating nations were held locally on 6/9–6/10. Title contenders Spain beat Peru 3-1, while champions Argentina shut out Iceland 3-0, including a Messi penalty. Meanwhile, WC 2026 participants DR Congo fell 1-2 to non-qualifier Chile. A review of results, scorers, positives, and concerns from each match.
info Dates are based on local time (all matches fell in the early morning to morning hours of 6/9–6/10 in Japan Standard Time). Japan face the Netherlands in their Group F opener at 05:00 JST on Monday, 6/15.
calendar_month Score Roundup (6/9–6/10, Local Time)
- Peru 1-3 Spain
- DR Congo 1-2 Chile
- Argentina 3-0 Iceland
_(Peru, Chile, and Iceland are non-qualifiers for WC 2026. Spain, DR Congo, and Argentina are qualified nations.)_
sports_soccer Peru 1-3 Spain (Title Contenders Cruise to Victory)
- Venue: Estadio Cuauhtémoc (Puebla / Mexico). Kick-off 11:00 JST on 6/9. Spain are a WC 2026 qualified nation.
- Scorers: Oyarzabal, Pedri, Gállese (Peru GK, own goal) (Spain) / Vélez (Peru)
- Positives: Oyarzabal and Pedri scored early to seize control, and Spain cruised to a comfortable win, building momentum ahead of the tournament.
- Concerns: Vélez pulled one back late on. Given that the opposition were a non-qualifier, a true test against tournament-level sides remains ahead.
sports_soccer DR Congo 1-2 Chile (WC Qualifier Suffers Shock Defeat)
- Venue: Stade de la Source (Orléans / France). Kick-off 00:00 JST on 6/10. Congo are a WC 2026 qualified nation (Group K).
- Scorers: Osorio (51'), Sepúlveda (86') (Chile) / Kayembe (88', Congo)
- Positives: Congo showed some fight as Kayembe pulled one back in the 88th minute.
- Concerns: Despite being a WC 2026 qualifier, Congo lost 1-2 to non-qualifier Chile. Defensive improvements are urgently needed.
sports_soccer Argentina 3-0 Iceland (Messi Nets Penalty, Champions Keep Clean Sheet)
- Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn / USA). Kick-off 10:00 JST on 6/10.
- Scorers: Barco (8'), Messi (72', PK), Almada (86')
- Positives: Messi, who was rested on 6/7 (vs. Honduras), came on from the 70th minute this time and converted from the spot. The champions rounded off their final preparations with a 3-0 shutout.
- Concerns: The opposition were non-qualifier Iceland — the same side Japan defeated 1-0 on 5/31. A proper test against tournament-level competition awaits at the finals themselves.
local_fire_department Summary
In the friendlies held locally on 6/9–6/10, title contenders Spain (3-1 vs. Peru) and champions Argentina (3-0 vs. Iceland, with a Messi penalty) both won convincingly, demonstrating their underlying quality. On the other hand, WC 2026 qualifier DR Congo fell 1-2 to non-qualifier Chile, leaving questions to be answered.
Iceland, whom Japan beat 1-0 on 5/31, lost 0-3 to Argentina — adding further context for assessing the relative strengths of the nations involved. Japan face the Netherlands in their Group F opener at 05:00 JST on Monday, 6/15. The latest schedule can be found on the article Calendar, and the group-stage draw for all qualified nations is available on the article Teams page.
_※ Scores and scorers are based on reports from ESPN, Sky Sports, and the respective national football associations. Dates are based on local time. Player photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons._