Argentina faced Venezuela in the first of two international friendlies scheduled in the United States and had to do so without Lionel Messi, who was rested by the coaching staff. Even without their all-time leading scorer, the reigning world champions had little trouble securing the win.
Despite Messi’s absence, Argentina completely dominated the match from start to finish. Venezuela held firm until the 31st minute, when Giovani Lo Celso broke the deadlock with a composed finish after a clever assist from Lautaro Martinez.
In the second half, Venezuela managed a few dangerous chances, but Argentina continued to press relentlessly, forcing Venezuelan goalkeeper Jose Contreras to make several key saves to prevent a heavier defeat.
Up next, Argentina will face Puerto Rico on Tuesday, October 14, at Chase Stadium, where Messi is expected to return to the lineup alongside several players who could make their international debuts.
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Thanks for joining us!
Argentina defeated Venezuela 1-0 in an international friendly at the Hard Rock Stadium and you lived every moment of this game here.
Thanks for staying with us, see you next time!
END OF THE GAME! (1-0)
Argentina beat Venezuela with a goal from Giovani Lo Celso.
85'- Martinez again misses an incredible chance! (1-0)
Lautaro Martínez had three consecutive chances to score Argentina’s second goal, but Contreras stopped all of the striker’s attempts, sending the ball out for a corner.
78'- Substitutions in Argentina (1-0)
Julian Alvarez, Nahuel Molina and Enzo Fernandez leave the field to make way for Rodrigo De Paul, Leonardo Balerdi and Alexis Mac Allister.
73'- Venezuela miss a big chance! (1-0)
After a corner kick, Quintero struck the ball off the crossbar, missing Venezuela’s chance to pull one back.
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67'- Lautaro Martinez close to score the second goal of the night! (1-0)
After a great pass into the box from Simeone, Martínez unleashed a powerful shot that was brilliantly saved by Contreras.
63'- Substitution in Argentina (1-0)
Leandro Paredes leaves the field to make way for Giuliano Simeone.
60'- First yellow card of the game (1-0)
Jose Contreras of Venezuela receives the first yellow card of the game.
57'- Substitutions in Venezuela (1-0)
Kevin Andrade and Alejandro Marques leave the field to make way for Kevin Kelsy and Matias Lacava.
46'- Substitution in Argentina (1-0)
Nicolas Tagliafico leaves the field to make way for Nicolas Gonzalez.
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Second half underway! (1-0)
The game is on again!
End of the first half! (1-0)
The game goes to halftime with Argentina leading the score 1-0 over Venezuela.
42'- Lautaro Martínez misses Argentina’s second goal! (1-0)
After a brilliant individual play, Martinez fired from inside the box, but his shot was denied by Contreras.
31'- GOAAAAAAL FOR ARGENTINA!! (1-0)
After an incredible missed chance by Venezuela, Lo Celso took advantage of a great assist from Martínez to score the first goal of the match.
🚨🌎 | GOAL: GIOVANI LO CELSO OPENS THE SCORING FOR ARGENTINA!
Nico Paz shot from outside the box, and Contreras managed to get a touch on it before the ball struck the post of the Venezuelan goal.
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12'- Lo Celso misses a huge chance! (0-0)
Giovani Lo Celso failed to make solid contact with a shot inside the six-yard box, and the ball went wide of the Venezuelan goal.
5'- Argentina miss the first chance of the game! (0-0)
Lautaro Martinez had the first chance of the match, but Jose Contreras made a great save, sending the ball out for a corner.
GAME ON!
Argentina and Venezuela have kicked off the 2025 international friendly!
Track record between Argentina and Venezuela
The head-to-head record between the two teams is heavily tilted in Argentina’s favor. Out of 29 meetings, Argentina have won 24, Venezuela have claimed just 2 victories, and the sides have drawn 3 times.
Their most recent matchup came on September 4, 2025, during World Cup qualifying in Argentina, where the game ended in a 3-0 win with a brace from Messi and one goal from Lautaro Martinez.
Franco Mastantuono ruled out of international friendlies
Argentine midfielder Franco Mastantuono will miss both of his national team’s upcoming friendly matches due to injury. As a result, the player has been ruled out and will return to Real Madrid.
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Lineup from Argentina confirmed!
This is the confirmed lineup for Argentina: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Marcos Senesi, Nicolas Tagliafico; Giovani Lo Celso, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez; Nico Paz, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez.
This will be the starting lineup for Venezuela: Jose Contreras; Jon Aramburu, Nahuel Ferraresi, Alessandro Milani; Teo Quintero, Cristian Casseres; Telasco Segovia, Kervin Andrade, Juan Pablo Añor; Alejandro Marques.
Lionel Messi will not play against Venezuela, according to insider Gaston Edul. The Argentine star is expected to rejoin Inter Miami for Saturday’s match against Atlanta United, with a possible return to the Argentina national team for the second friendly against Puerto Rico.
Kick off time and where to watch
The clash between Argentina and Venezuela will kick off at 8:00 PM (ET).
Gianni Taina is a bilingual journalist, fluent in English and Spanish, with a specialization in soccer, NBA, and tennis. He began his professional career in 2020 with Mundo Deportivo US, where he first established himself as a writer. Throughout his career, Gianni has covered major sports events such as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tournaments like the French Open. His ability to report on real-time events and perform well under pressure has made him a valuable member of a top-tier team of journalists. In 2024, he joined Bolavip US, bringing his expertise in soccer, NBA, and tennis to deliver original content while providing live coverage of important events.
