Argentina trained at Inter Miami’s facilities in Florida in preparation for their World Cup qualifier against Venezuela.
In their recent match, Argentina and Venezuela played to a 1-1 draw on Thursday, marking Lionel Messi’s return to international football during South America’s World Cup qualifying series. Messi, 37, returned fully fit from an injury he sustained during the Copa America final against Colombia in July, showing his brilliance by assisting Nicolás Otamendi to score in the 13th minute. The match had a delayed start of half an hour due to heavy rainfall, resulting in a slippery pitch.
Gerónimo Rulli, stepping in for Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez, who is suspended for two matches because of inappropriate conduct, delivered an impressive performance, successfully blocking multiple attempts from Venezuelan striker Salomón Rondón in the first half.
In the second half, Venezuela managed to equalize when Rondón executed a fantastic header from a cross delivered by Yeferson Soteldo, bringing them temporarily to sixth place in the standings with a total of 11 points.
As Argentina sought a winning goal, coach Lionel Scaloni brought on Leandro Paredes and Lautaro Martínez with just five minutes remaining. However, the challenging conditions of the wet pitch hindered the World Cup champions’ ability to secure a victory.
Argentina continues to lead the standings with 19 points and will take on Bolivia next Tuesday, while Venezuela will travel to face Paraguay.