In a gripping encounter during the South American World Cup qualifiers, Argentina settled for a 1-1 draw Venezuela – Argentina, marking the much-anticipated return of Lionel Messi to the international stage. The 37-year-old captain, back from an injury sustained in the Copa América final against Colombia, played a pivotal role in Argentina’s early offensive surge. On a pitch severely affected by rain, which delayed the match by half an hour, Messi provided an assist to Nicolás Otamendi, who netted the opening goal just 13 minutes into the game.
Venezuela, however, rallied in the second half. Salomón Rondón equalized with a well-placed header, converting a cross from Yeferson Soteldo. Argentina’s goalkeeper, Gerónimo Rulli, filling in for the suspended Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez, was unable to stop Rondón’s strike. Despite the draw, Argentina maintains its position at the top of the standings with 19 points, while Venezuela climbs to sixth with 11 points. Looking ahead, Argentina will face Bolivia next, while Venezuela is set to take on Paraguay.
Following the match, Messi voiced his frustration regarding the pitch conditions, describing the encounter as “ugly.”
“It was an ugly match. We couldn’t even make two passes in a row; the ball stopped because of the water on the pitch. It is difficult to play in these conditions; the pitch did not help,” Messi remarked to TyC Sports.
In other action, Brazil pulled off a thrilling 2-1 comeback against Chile. After suffering a disappointing loss to Paraguay, Brazil fell behind early when Eduardo Vargas scored just two minutes into the match with a header from a Felipe Loyola cross.
Chile squandered multiple opportunities to extend their lead, allowing Brazil to equalize in first-half stoppage time. Igor Jesus delivered a powerful header from Savinho’s cross, bringing the score to 1-1. Brazil dominated the second half and clinched victory in the 89th minute, thanks to Luiz Henrique, who curled a strike from the edge of the box to secure a vital three points.
With this win, Brazil rises to fourth place in the standings with 13 points, trailing Uruguay by two and Argentina by eight.
In other results from October 10, 10-man Bolivia stunned Colombia with a 1-0 victory, while Ecuador and Paraguay played to a goalless stalemate.