September 05, (THEWILL) — Argentina maintained their dominant World Cup qualifying campaign with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Venezuela at the Estadio Monumental, extending their remarkable record to 11 clean sheets in 12 qualifying wins.
The match carried particular significance as Lionel Messi captained his side onto home turf accompanied by his three sons, creating an emotional moment for the iconic forward who may not play again in Argentina.
Venezuela nearly caught the hosts off guard within the opening 15 seconds through an inventive kick-off routine, but Argentina quickly responded through Julian Alvarez’s efforts.
Despite employing Franco Mastantuono in his first start at the venue where he made his reputation, Lionel Scaloni’s team faced sporadic threats from Salomón Rondón, who troubled the Argentine defence throughout the encounter.
Messi opened the scoring just before half-time with a delicate chip over three defenders and goalkeeper Rafael Romo, marking his 113th international goal.
The captain’s clinical finish came after excellent work from Alvarez, whilst Thiago Almada also tested the Venezuelan keeper before the interval with a curling effort that required an impressive save.
The second half saw Argentina maintain its intensity despite having already qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
Venezuela manager Fernando Batista responded by deploying five defenders, but substitute Lautaro Martinez doubled the lead with his first touch after being introduced by Scaloni alongside Exequiel Palacios.
Messi completed the scoring late in the match with a precise finish from Almada’s pull-back, though the offside flag denied him a spectacular hat-trick goal in the closing minutes.
The victory improved Argentina’s historical record against Venezuela to 25 wins from 30 meetings, whilst the visitors remain the only CONMEBOL nation never to qualify for a World Cup finals tournament.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
