Lionel Messi played the distance on a saturated, rain-soaked pitch as the Argentine National Football Team settled for a 1-1 draw against host Venezuela on Thursday in a qualifying match for World Cup 2026.
Argentina’s Nicolás Otamendi scored in the 13th minute to give the reigning World Cup champions an early 1-0 lead, but Venezuela’s Salomón Rondón scored a header inside the box to tie the match in the 65th minute.
However, the pitch at Monumental Stadium of Maturin was the story in this match. The field was severely drenched as large amounts of rainwater visibly rose from the surface every time a player has made a play on the ball.
Representatives from both clubs convened to discuss the playing surface, where stadium workers attempted to roll out the water from the saturated field before and during a 30-minute weather delay until the match began.
“The truth is that it was very difficult to play like that. The match became very ugly, very tight,” Messi said after the match.
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