La Albiceleste will host La Vinotinto in what will be Lionel Messi's last official home match
As for the record, both national teams have faced each other a total of 28 times, with 23 victories for the Argentinians, 2 for the Venezuelans, and 3 draws. The last time they met was on matchday nine of the current qualifiers at the Estadio Maturín, a match that ended in a 1-1 draw, with goals by Salomón Rondón for the home team and Nicolás Otamendi for the visitors.
The national team's last home match in the South American Qualifiers will be played tonight starting at 8:30 p.m. at the Estadio Más Monumental. The match will be broadcast by Telefe and TyC Sports.
Argentina (4-3-3):
Venezuela (4-2-3-1):
In the final stretch of the South American Qualifiers, Argentina hosts Venezuela at the Estadio Más Monumental for matchday 17. Beyond the sporting aspect, this match will have a very special emotional component: it will be Lionel Messi's last official match with the national team in the country.
La Albiceleste, already qualified for the 2026 World Cup several matches ago and with first place secured, comes into this match with a five-game unbeaten streak, the result of four victories (Peru 1-0, Uruguay 0-1, Brazil 4-1, and Chile 0-1) and one draw (Colombia 1-1). This situation will give Lionel Scaloni greater freedom to try out new players and for the team to showcase La Pulga.
Meanwhile, La Vinotinto is in need of points, as it is currently fighting to secure seventh place, which would send it to the play-off. In its last matches this year, the team led by "Bocha" Batista had two key victories against two direct rivals: Peru (1-0) and Bolivia (2-0). However, it also suffered two expected defeats against Ecuador (2-1) and Uruguay (2-0).
