Venezuelan football in limbo after capture of Nicolas Maduro | OneFootball

According to L'Équipe, United States forces captured president Nicolas Maduro and his wife on three January under Donald Trump, in defiance of international law. The domestic league is due to restart on 30 January, and relocation of Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana ties is seen as the likeliest option, not exclusion.

Baseball, the other dominant sport, paused for five days mid play-offs after the intervention. Conmebol and the Venezuelan federation had not commented at the time of writing.

The national team’s outlook is also unclear. Venezuela, ranked 48th and the only Conmebol nation never at a World Cup, finished eighth of 10 in qualifying for 2026. Fernando Batista was dismissed in early September after Maduro demanded staff changes, and it is unknown where or when the Vinotinto will next play.

Former international Cristian Casseres acknowledges widespread anxiety but remains hopeful about a country rich in talent yet hampered by limited youth development amid poverty affecting more than 70% of the population. He won 29 caps, scored two goals and played more than 400 senior matches.

His son, Cristian Casseres Jr, a dependable Toulouse midfielder since 2023, was made national captain in October by interim coach Oswaldo Vizcarrondo. The 25-year-old has 44 caps and, like nearly eight million compatriots, left Caracas in search of opportunity. His father says he is worried by events, asks questions and is reassured daily by phone, while Toulouse have rejected an €eight million offer from Sevilla for a player contracted until 2027.

Source: L'Équipe