Messi shines, Argentina easily wins memorable match

Lionel Messi turned his final home match with Argentina into a memorable night when he scored twice, contributing greatly to his team's 3-0 defeat of Venezuela.

Right after the opening whistle, Argentina took the initiative to press and quickly created many dangerous opportunities. In the 4th minute, Cristian Romero put the ball into the net but was called offside by the referee.

Venezuela also tried to respond with several counter-attacks, but the white-blue defense played solidly, not making goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez work too much.

Messi scored twice against Venezuela - Photo: AFA

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In the 39th minute, Messi opened the scoring with a delicate lob after a pass from Julián Álvarez, sending the audience in Buenos Aires into a frenzy.

In the second half, coach Lionel Scaloni brought Lautaro Martinez onto the field and this change immediately showed its effectiveness. In the 76th minute, Lautaro doubled the gap with a neat finish after an assist from Nicolás González.

The joy ended completely in the 80th minute when Thiago Almada made a smart pass for Messi to run down and shoot accurately into the bottom corner, sealing a 3-0 victory in the 17th match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the South American region.

Messi had a memorable match with Albiceleste - Photo: AFA

This result not only helps Argentina consolidate its position as the number one candidate in the qualifying round but also has special meaning, as Messi bid farewell to his home audience with a perfect performance, leaving a deep mark in Albiceleste history.

Score:

Argentina: Messi 39', 80', Lautaro Martinez 76'

Starting lineup:

Argentina : E Martinez, Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico, De Paul, Paredes, Almada, Messi, Alvarez, Mastantuono

Venezuela: Romo, Aramburu, Navarro, Angel, Ferraresi, Savarino, Casseres, Makoun, Rincon, Rondon, Bello

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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ket-qua-bong-da-argentina-vs-venezuela-vong-loai-world-cup-2026-2439488.html