Messi a doubt for the starting XI, Argentina take on Venezuela in Miami | OneFootball

Starting at 9:00 PM at Hard Rock Stadium, the Albiceleste return to action after leading the Qualifiers. Scaloni will test variations and could rest the No. 10, while the visitors arrive shaken and with an interim coach.

The Argentina National Team will take the field this Friday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to face Venezuela from 9 PM, in the first of the warm-up friendlies on the road to the 2026 World Cup. It will be a good opportunity for Lionel Scaloni to observe players with fewer minutes and begin to define the list of 26 who will travel to North America.

The Albiceleste arrive in great form: they finished the South American Qualifiers on top with 38 points, thanks to the 3-0 thrashing of La Vinotinto at the Monumental and the 1-0 loss to Ecuador in Guayaquil. Already qualified with several matchdays to spare after the memorable 4-1 over Brazil, Argentina begins a new stage focused on the Finalissima against Spain (in March) and defending the world title.

However, one of the question marks is the presence of Lionel Messi. The captain is dealing with physical fatigue after playing six matches in three weeks with Inter Miami, so Scaloni is considering resting him and giving minutes to other players. In that context, players like Nicolás Paz or Marcos Senesi could feature prominently, and Giovani Lo Celso is fighting for a spot in the starting lineup.

On the other side, Venezuela arrive shaken after missing out on the World Cup playoff. The tough 6-3 defeat to Colombia on the final matchday of the Qualifiers led to the departure of Fernando “Bocha” Batista and the interim appointment of Oswaldo Vizcarrondo. La Vinotinto, who dreamed of their first-ever qualification, will look to regroup against the world champions and show signs of renewal.

Probable Argentina lineup: Emiliano Martínez or Gerónimo Rulli; Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Marcos Senesi, Nicolás González; Alexis Mac Allister, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernández or Giovani Lo Celso; Nicolás Paz, Lautaro Martínez, and Julián Álvarez. Coach: Lionel Scaloni.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.