Argentina's Messi blames the waterlogged field for the draw against Venezuela

Lionel Messi blamed conditions on the pitch at the Estadio Monumental de Maturín for Argentina's “ugly” 1-1 draw with Venezuela on Thursday night in the first World Cup qualifier of the international round in October.

Heavy rain in Maturin, Venezuela impacted the pitch before kick-off, forcing players to face an initial delay before they could return to the sodden pitch. Nicolás Otamendi scored the first goal for Argentina, but Salomón Rondón of Venezuela equalized in the second half, allowing both teams to settle for a point apiece.

“It was very difficult, that leads to very ugly games,” Messi told TyC after the game. “We didn’t manage to play two passes in a row. In the second half we played a little more on the right side, but it's difficult to play like that. There’s very little playing.”

Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul echoed his World Cup-winning teammate's frustration after the final whistle.

“In that case we wouldn’t be able to play football,” De Paul said.

Although Argentina currently leads the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying campaign with 19 points from nine games, Messi was frustrated by the disappointing result. The Argentina captain said the condition of the pitch did not allow his team to play the scheduled game.

“We drew because the pitch didn't help us achieve what we wanted. We had to play a different game than the one we had prepared for,” Messi said. “But we were prepared because we fought, won the battles and played with the opponent's mistakes. We couldn't risk much by playing passes backwards. In the first half we made a few passes backwards and into the water. “We stopped it and made it complicated.

Messi returned for Argentina for the first time on Thursday after suffering a right ankle injury in the Copa América final win over Colombia on July 14, 2024 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Messi was sidelined for two months due to injury and missed games against Inter Miami CF and the international window with Argentina in September.

“The wait to play again (with Argentina) was too long,” Messi said. “I also missed a lot of games with my club. I’m excited to come back, continue to add back-to-back games and be back here.”

Messi returned to Inter Miami in the game against Philadelphia Union on September 14, narrowly missing the FIFA window against Argentina in September. Despite his desire to be with his national team, the captain chose to avoid any risk.

“I hadn’t played yet and had barely trained at the time of the call,” said Messi. “I wasn’t 100 percent. From a physical point of view, my ankle was bothering me. We both decided that I wasn’t ready and that it would be best to stay and train with my team to complete my recovery.”

Now Messi and Argentina are preparing to host Bolivia at the Estadio Mâs Monumental in Buenos Aires for the final game of the October window.

“I miss playing in Argentina, so I'm happy now,” Messi added.