Frank Christian
Lionel Messi is set to make his return to the Argentina national team as they prepare for two CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying matches this October, starting with an away game against Venezuela on Thursday.
Since injuring his ankle during the Copa America final over the summer, Messi has not participated in international play. He missed the September matches against Chile and Colombia due to this injury but is now fit and ready to rejoin Lionel Scaloni’s starting lineup.
Argentina aims to bounce back from their 2-1 loss to Colombia, which was a significant victory for Los Cafeteros, but did not cost Argentina their leading position in the qualifying standings, where they are currently two points ahead of other teams.
Venezuela comes into this match after managing a draw against a dominant Uruguay, but they sit in sixth place, having not won in their last four qualifying games. They reached the Copa America quarterfinals this summer but were eliminated by Canada in a penalty shootout.
Check out the latest team updates and projected lineups below.
Venezuela vs. Argentina lineups, predicted starting 11, team news
Venezuela will be missing their defensive players Teo Quintero and Jhon Chancellor due to injuries. Quintero is recovering from a knee issue, while Chancellor has not played since late August.
Young player Alejandro Gomes was considered for the squad but declined the invitation as he represents England at the youth level.
Josef Martinez, a striker for CF Montreal, has shown good form recently, but he hasn’t been called up in a year. Veteran defender Roberto Rosales has also been absent from national duties in that same timeframe, falling just five caps short of 100.
Venezuela’s predicted XI (4-3-3, left to right): Romo (GK) — A. Gonzalez, Osorio, Ferraresi, Navarro — Savarino, J. Martinez, Casseres, Herrera, Soteldo — Rondon.
Full squad:
Goalkeepers: Alain Baroja, Rafael Romo, Jose Contreras
Defenders: Yordan Osorio, Nahuel Ferraresi, Christian Makoun, Yiandro Raap, Delvin Alfonzo, Miguel Navarro, Victor Fung, Alexander Gonzalez, Jon Aramburu, Bianneider Tamayo, Carlos Vivas, Alessandro Milani, Ruben Ramirez, Luis Balbo
Midfielders: Jose Martinez, Tomas Rincon, Yangel Herrera, Cristiano Casseres, Nicola Profeta, Telasco Segovia, Yair Ramos, Giovanny Sequera, Bryant Ortega, Daniele Quieto, Yefferson Soteldo, Jefferson Savarino, David Martinez, Darwin Machis, Kervin Andrade, Leenhan Romero, Eduard Bello, Daniel Pereira, Edson Castillo
Forwards: Salomon Rondon, Jhonder Cadiz, Lorenzo D’Agostini, Jesus Ramirez
Lionel Messi is back in the squad, but Argentina will miss several regulars due to various injuries or fitness concerns. Nico Gonzalez is injured playing for Fiorentina, while Alejandro Garnacho, Marcos Acuna, Cristian Romero, and Paulo Dybala have all withdrawn for similar reasons.
Emiliano Martinez is unavailable due to a two-game suspension. Alexis Mac Allister is part of the squad, but his fitness for play remains uncertain, as does that of German Pezzella.
Argentina’s predicted XI (4-3-3, left to right): Rulli (GK) — Acuna, Otamendi, Li. Martinez, Tagliafico — De Paul, E. Fernandez, Lo Celso — Messi, La. Martinez, J. Alvarez.
Full squad:
Goalkeepers: Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso, Walter Benitez
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Leonardo Balerdi, German Pezzella, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Julio Soler
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Exequiel Palacios, Enzo Fernandez, Giovani Lo Celso, Thiago Almada, Nicolas Paz, Facundo Buonanotte
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, Valentin Carboni
What time does Venezuela vs. Argentina kick off?
This World Cup qualifying match will take place at the Estadio Monumental de Maturin in Maturin, Venezuela on Thursday, October 10, starting at 5:00 p.m. local time.
The kickoff time in various regions is as follows:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Thu, Oct. 10 | 5 p.m. ET |
| Canada | Thu, Oct. 10 | 5 p.m. ET |
| Australia | Fri, Oct. 11 | 8 a.m. AEDT |
| UK | Thu, Oct. 10 | 10 p.m. BST |
| India | Fri, Oct. 11 | 2:30 a.m. IST |
Venezuela vs. Argentina live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to catch this World Cup qualifying match in various regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | Fanatiz |
| Canada | — | Fanatiz |
| UK | — | bet365 |
| Australia | — | — |
| India | — | — |
