Argentina secured a 1-0 victory over Venezuela in an international friendly in Miami on Friday, despite the absence of captain Lionel Messi, who watched the match from the stands. A well-worked first-half goal from Giovani Lo Celso was enough for the reigning world champions, who controlled the game from start to finish. The decisive moment came in the 31st minute when forwards Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez combined to set up Lo Celso for a crisp left-footed finish.
After the match, coach Lionel Scaloni explained his decision to rest the Inter Miami star, stating that the friendly provided a valuable opportunity to assess other attacking options. "I decided that Leo wouldn’t play. I wanted to see Lautaro and Julián, and we also had Flaco López on the bench, who we’ll also be seeing soon," Scaloni told reporters. "These are games for experimenting and that’s what we’ll do."
The Albiceleste dominated proceedings, maintaining 69% of the possession and registering 19 shots, with 11 on target. While Argentina's finishing was not at its sharpest, their pressure forced several key saves from Venezuelan goalkeeper Jose Contreras, who prevented a shameful defeat for his side. Before the match, both teams paid tribute to former Argentine player and manager Miguel Angel Russo, who passed away earlier in the week.
Argentina will play their second and final friendly of the international break on Tuesday against Puerto Rico. The match will be held at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, where Messi is expected to return to the lineup as the team continues its preparations for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.