Iceland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson won’t be heaping the daunting task of keeping Lionel Messi quiet on any individual player.
The match against Argentina at 11pm AEST will be Iceland’s first-ever World Cup match – and they don’t come much tougher than La Albiceleste, finalists in 2014.
“I don’t have any magic formulas to stop Messi – everyone has tried every method against him, but he still scores,” said the 53 year-old Hallgrimsson.
“Everyone tried every method against him, but he still scores. He’s a fantastic player, one of the best in the world. We will work together helping each other as a team – it wouldn’t be fair to assign someone to personally guard Messi.”
He pointed out that Argentina, twice World Cup winners, have a few more threats in attack besides Messi, and focusing on only one of them could prove costly for the team.
Hallgrimsson has overseen the brightest era in Iceland’s history since taking the reins in 2013.
They made a huge impression two years ago at UEFA Euro 2014, drawing with eventual winners Portugal and eliminating England before their elimination against hosts, France.
They are the smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup and begin their campaign at Moscow’s 44,000-seater Spartak Stadium in what will be their very first encounter with Argentina.
They will then face Nigeria and Croatia in what, on paper, should prove to be a fierce fight for the runners-up spot in Group G.