This Friday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, against Venezuela, Argentina will play the first of two friendly matches scheduled during the October international break in the United States. But despite the excitement this match generates among fans, Lionel Messi will not be part of the team.
Lionel Scaloni has chosen to leave Messi out of the squad, meaning he won’t be in the starting XI or even on the bench. The head coach didn’t offer a concrete explanation for the decision, but during Thursday’s press conference, he did acknowledge that he would speak with the forward when finalizing the lineup and that his intention was to test other options in the team.
Because the match against Venezuela is only a friendly, there is no urgent need for Messi to play, as he typically does for Argentina. In addition, given his recent physical issues, taking extra precautions to avoid unnecessary strain is seen as the sensible approach.
Connected to this is the situation with Inter Miami. The club is approaching the decisive phase of the 2025 Major League Soccer season, with only two regular-season games remaining before the playoffs begin. Under these circumstances, they need Messi healthy more than ever.
Lionel Scaloni, coach of Argentina.
Who is replacing Messi for Argentina?
While Lionel Messi’s impact on the field is undeniable, Argentina have a number of players with similar traits who can step into the creative role in the attack. That makes Friday’s game an ideal opportunity for Scaloni to experiment with these alternatives.
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Nicolas Paz will get the chance to start in the position Messi typically occupies. The young midfielder earned this opportunity thanks to his impressive performances with Como 1907 in Serie A. He will be joined in the front three by Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
Argentina’s starting lineup to face Venezuela this Friday in Miami is: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Marcos Senesi, Nicolas Tagliafico; Enzo Fernandez, Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso; Nicolas Paz, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez.
What’s next for Messi?
Despite Friday’s match against Venezuela, Lionel Messi has stepped away from Argentina’s squad, reportedly to rejoin Inter Miami and play against Atlanta United on Saturday at Chase Stadium, in the penultimate regular-season match for the Herons in MLS.
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This unusual situation does not necessarily rule Messi out for Argentina’s next match. On Tuesday, also in Miami, they will play their second and final game of the October international break, this time against Puerto Rico. There, Leo could feature for at least a few minutes. After that, the forward will fully rejoin the Herons ahead of their match against Nashville SC on Saturday, October 18.
