Lionel Messi Speaks On Argentina’s 1-1 Draw With Venezuela

The captain of the Argentina national football team, Lionel Messi, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the playing conditions at the Estadio Monumental de Maturín after their 1-1 draw against Venezuela in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.

The match, which took place on a rain-soaked pitch at the Monumental Stadium of Maturin due to heavy rain in Maturin, Venezuela, before kickoff, was described by Messi as “ugly” and “very difficult” to play.

Despite Nicolás Otamendi opening the scoring for Argentina, Venezuela’s Salomón Rondón managed to equalize in the second half.

Lionel Messi highlighted the challenges faced by the players, stating that they struggled to complete even two passes in a row due to the adverse conditions.

He expressed frustration over the limited quality of football that could be showcased under such challenging conditions.

“It was very difficult, it makes for very ugly matches,” Messi told TyC after the game.

“We could not complete two passes in a row. In the second half, we did it on the right a little more, but it is difficult to play like that. Very little is played.”

Lionel Messi and his national teammates will be in action again when Argentina take on Bolivia at 1 a.m. on Wednesday, October 16 as they continue their quest to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.