Hurricane Milton is approaching, and CNN is calling it “the most devastating of the last century.” Sergio Jalfin, meteorologist, stated, “the area could remain devastated primarily due to the danger of cyclonic storm surge, with waves of 5 to 6 meters in height, as well as strong winds and heavy rains.” As a result, there is an evacuation plan in place, and all gas stations are already empty, with businesses being boarded up.
Training through all of this is Argentina, who are in Florida preparing for their World Cup qualifier against Venezuela in Miami due to political tensions between the Argentine and Venezuelan governments. Lionel Scaloni was able to welcome back captain Lionel Messi after he missed the last two games due to an ankle injury.
Lionel Messi returns on a hot streak, having scored 5 goals in 5 matches with Inter Miami following the injury he suffered at the Copa America. He has also been nominated as an MVP candidate for the MLS regular season.
Lionel Scaloni also faces the challenge of reshaping his team due to injuries to Marcos Acuña, Paulo Dybala, and Nico Gonzalez, along with suspended goalkeeper Emi Martínez.
When Does Argentina Play Venezuela?
Argentina will play their World Cup qualification match against Venezuela on October 10th in Maturín, Venezuela. Argentina is in first place, while Venezuela is in sixth place in the table. As many as seven teams from Conmebol can qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Hurricane Milton intensified to a Category 5 storm on Monday. Meteorologists anticipate it will move toward the Gulf Coast of Florida on Wednesday, coinciding with Argentina’s planned travel to Venezuela.
At the moment, neither AFA nor Conmebol have issued a statement regarding what will happen if Argentina cannot travel to Venezuela due to possible flight cancellations or airport closures during the hurricane.