In an Argentina and Venezuela 2026 World Cup qualifying match, Lionel Messi attributed Argentina’s “ugly” 1-1 result to the damp ground at the Estadio Monumental de Maturin.
Messi was not pleased with the condition of the surface, which had been wet by the intense rain in Venezuela, after Salomon Rondon, a former West Brom, Newcastle, and Everton striker, cancelled out Nicolas Otamendi’s first-half goal with a header.
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Rain caused the game to be delayed at first, but play finally continued and both teams shared the points. With 19 points, Argentina is presently leading the CONMEBOL standings, while Venezuela is ranked seventh.
The seventh-place team advances to the play-offs, while the top six teams earn spots in the 2026 World Cup. Messi said to Argentine broadcaster TyC, “It was very difficult, it makes for very ugly matches,” in response to the draw with Venezuela.
“We were unable to make two consecutive passes. We played a little more on the right in the second half, but that kind of play is challenging. Not much is played. We were forced to play a different game than the one we had planned, and as a result, we tied.
“However, we were ready since we had engaged in combat, emerged victorious, and exploited the opponent’s mistake.” Playing with passes to the back didn’t put us at too much risk.
Lionel Scaloni, the Argentina manager, reiterated Messi’s worries, saying: “It [the pitch] did not meet the minimal conditions for a football game. You couldn’t play. We did what we had to do, but the conditions of the playing field were not for a match against two teams of this kind of level.”
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