Lionel Messi and Argentina are set to face Venezuela for Matchday 9 of the World Cup Qualifiers in Maturin on Thursday, Oct. 10th. However, the travel plans of La Albiceleste, who are currently based in Miami, have been affected by both Hurricane Milton and the political tensions between the two countries. Lionel Scaloni has been candid with the press, stating that the situation is “concerning.”
“We had asked to travel today, but we couldn’t do it. We will travel tomorrow if the weather permits. We’ll train tomorrow and leave in the afternoon,” Scaloni said about Argentina‘s intended schedule, which could change as the hurricane, which has intensified to a Category 5 storm, approaches the Gulf Coast of Florida. It is expected to make landfall on Wednesday.
“It’s going to be hard to make it tomorrow. We’re not allowed to land in Venezuela from U.S. soil if we leave on Thursday. If that’s even possible. These are things beyond our control. We’ve had bad luck with this. But the most important thing is people’s safety,” the head coach explained about the situation.
“The game is important, but safety is more important. When you hear about strong winds and hurricanes, no matter how much you want to, you can’t help but worry. In that sense, we’re concerned,” he said.
“You can isolate yourself, but you can’t,” Scaloni said about the weather situation. “This is something new, something we’re not used to. We’re staying alert to everything. We hope it’s all temporary and that we really don’t have to worry,” he concluded.
Why can’t Argentina travel directly to Venezuela?
Argentine and American-flagged aircraft are prohibited from flying above Venezuelan airspace. Therefore, the Argentine national team is required to make a stop in Colombia to reach Maturin, where the World Cup Qualifiers match will be held at 5 PM (ET) on Thursday.
There’s a lot of speculation surrounding the possibility of Argentina having to suspend their travel to Venezuela due to the storm. According to some reports from Doble Amarilla, the match could be deferred to Friday. However, from Venezuela, reports from El Mundo es Un Balón say that FIFA, Conmebol and the FVF (Venezuelan Federation) all agree that Argentina took a risk with their plans.