After the Copa America final, Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi donned the sky-blue jersey once again. However, even the return of the world champion couldn’t secure a win for Argentina. In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Argentina ended in a 1-1 draw against Venezuela in a rain-interrupted match.

Despite the draw, Argentina remains at the top of the South American World Cup qualifying points table, making their path to securing a spot in the World Cup a bit easier.

The game at Venezuela’s Estadio Maturín started 30 minutes late due to heavy rain that flooded the field. After intense efforts to drain the water, the ball finally rolled onto the field nearly half an hour late. In the challenging conditions, Argentina took the lead in the 14th minute. Returning from injury, Messi’s free-kick from a distance found Otamendi, who scored with a header. The players kept slipping, increasing the risk of injuries, but the game maintained a good pace despite the difficult field conditions.

After the break, the water on the pitch receded a bit. In the first five minutes of the second half, Venezuela threatened twice in Argentina's box, but Herrera failed to beat Rulli both times. In the 65th minute, Rondón got the equalizer. Receiving a cross from the left, the 35-year-old forward made a powerful header to find the back of the net.

With 6 wins and 1 draw from 9 matches, Argentina stays at the top with 19 points. Their next match is against Bolivia on October 16.