Overview
The top team Argentina will host Venezuela in Buenos Aires in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America. Lionel Scaloni's team has won a ticket to the next round early, while Venezuela has been forced to make the most of the last two matches to keep the hope of qualifying for the play-offs.
Few teams have convincingly qualified like Argentina in the South American region, which is famous for being harsh. Albiceleste have accumulated 35 points after 16 matches, 10 points ahead of their two most recent champions, Ecuador and Brazil.
Despite losing points at home for the second time in the qualifiers, when held to a 1-1 draw by Colombia, Lionel Scaloni's team still proved their mettle. Thiago Almada scored a late equalizer in a one-man deficit situation, concluding a performance that showed the resilience of the reigning world champions.
That draw ended a run of four consecutive wins, but did not overshadow Argentina's dominance in South America. They entered the final stage of the qualifying round with an extremely relaxed mood.
Not only possessing a world-class attack, Argentina also showed solidity in defense with 5 clean sheets at home. The last time they hosted Venezuela, they easily won 3-0 and hope to repeat that scenario.
However, Venezuela made it difficult when they held Argentina to a 1-1 draw in the first leg. This result could be a turning point in the fierce competition between Venezuela and Bolivia for the play-off ticket.
Currently, South America's 6 official World Cup spots are almost at the checkpoint. Therefore, attention will be on the seventh place - the ticket to the knockout round next year.
The victory over Bolivia in June was important for La Vinotinto, helping them temporarily widen the gap to 4 points. However, the defeat to Uruguay a few days later, combined with Bolivia's defeat to Chile, shortened the gap to only 1 point.
The ability of Fernando Batista and his team to win all 3 points in their away trip to Buenos Aires is very fragile, considering the opponent's class as well as the fact that they have lost all 6 of their most recent away matches. However, Bolivia also face similar difficulties when playing away at Colombia - where La Verde is rated much lower.
This means the play-off ticket will almost be decided in the final match, when Venezuela welcomes Colombia. A home win could secure La Vinotinto a place in the next round, especially when they have an outstanding goal difference. At that time, as long as they get a result equal to Bolivia against Brazil, Venezuela will decide their own fate.
Personnel situation
With Argentina securing their move, Lionel Scaloni has the choice between continuing to operate the familiar formula or giving the next generation a chance. Young talents such as Nico Paz and Franco Mastantuono are once again on the call-up list, opening up the possibility of testing the squad.
However, Lionel Messi is likely to still play in the 194th match for the national team. He could play alongside his Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul. The midfielder has maintained a solid position in the Argentina national team despite moving to play in the MLS.
On the other hand, Enzo Fernandez is absent due to suspension, while Lisandro Martinez has not recovered from injury. Paulo Dybala and Matias Soule continue to be left out of Lionel Scaloni's call-ups.
On the other side of the front line, Jefferson Savarino could reach the milestone of 50 caps in this match. However, most of Venezuela's attention will be on the home match next week. Therefore, Fernando Batista is likely to rotate the force, giving opportunities to some reserve players.
Expected lineup:
Argentina: E. Martinez, Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico, De Paul, Mac Allister, Almada, Messi, L. Martinez, Paz.
Venezuela: Romo, Aramburu, Navarro, Angel, Ferraresi, J. Martinez, Casseres, Bello, D. Martinez, Rondon, Soteldo.
The match between Argentina and Venezuela takes place at 6:30 a.m. on September 5 (Vietnam time).
