Argentina defeated Venezuela 1-0 in a FIFA friendly that served to test new players and continue to add rhythm ahead of the 2026 World Cup, where Lionel Scaloni’s side will be looking for a historic second consecutive title. Among the surprises of the match was the presence of Lionel Messi in the stands of the stadium, showing that he was not considered to play.
Messi was expected to play against Venezuela and continue to gain momentum, however, Scaloni chose to rest his star player and this generated surprises and doubts among fans and the press, so the coach had to explain in the press conference.
The reason for Lionel Messi’s absence against Venezuela
In a press conference, Scaloni was asked about Lionel Messi’s absence from the match and the coach was quite precise in explaining it.
“I decided that Leo should not play to try Lautaro and Julian, simply that,” explained Scaloni, who opted for a double 9 and who can also give him new options when looking for different formations, since both Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez are going through a very good time in their respective clubs.
Regarding the match and the one-nil victory with a goal from Lo Celso, Scaloni explained that “the first half was quite good and with goal situations. In the second half, the first 25 minutes were not good, then we changed the scheme and we were firmer without the ball. The test is very useful because it gives us the guideline that we have to know that there is no easy opponent. Everyone plays us at 100%.”
What’s next for the Argentina national team?
After beating Venezuela, Argentina will have another friendly match, this time against Puerto Rico on Tuesday, October 14. Scaloni confirmed that he will continue to test the younger players.
“On Tuesday all the new boys who have come in will play. They haven’t had a chance today but I already knew that, so hopefully they will take advantage of it,” commented the World Cup-winning coach, who also stressed that these matches are important to look for replacements and have more options for the challenges facing the national team.
Among the young players who could see minutes against Puerto Rico are the following:
- Walter Benitez
- Leonardo Balerdi
- Nicolas Paz
- Giuliano Simeone
- Franco Mastantuono
Read the full article here
