Lionel Messi and the Argentina national football team left South Florida on Wednesday,
departing ahead of Hurricane Milton’s anticipated landfall and en route to a World Cup qualifying match in Venezuela. Messi, alongside his teammates, had been training at Inter Miami’s facility in Fort Lauderdale in preparation for their upcoming games as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The team’s schedule had been arranged before the storm posed a threat and also due to Venezuelan travel restrictions.
With Milton, a powerful Category 4 storm, expected to hit Florida late Wednesday or early Thursday, the reigning World Cup champions opted for an earlier departure. Unable to fly directly from the U.S. to Venezuela due to the restrictions, they made a stop in Barranquilla, Colombia, before continuing to Maturín, Venezuela.
Argentina’s match against Venezuela is set for Thursday at 5 p.m. ET at the Monumental Stadium of Maturin, followed by a home game against Bolivia on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. This week’s training in Miami mirrors previous sessions Argentina held at Inter Miami’s facilities earlier in the year, before their successful Copa America and World Cup campaigns.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni voiced concerns over the timing of their departure, hoping to leave earlier to avoid disruptions caused by Milton.
“It’s not an ideal situation,” Scaloni told reporters Tuesday. “We’ll be arriving only a day before the match, which complicates things. Unfortunately, we had to stop over as direct flights from the U.S. aren’t permitted to Venezuela. But above all, the health and safety of the players and staff are the priority.”
Messi, who is expected to start against Venezuela, will return to the national squad for the first time since sustaining an ankle injury during the Copa America final on July 14. He had missed September’s qualifiers against Chile and Colombia but returned to club play with Inter Miami on September 14. In the five games since his recovery, Messi has scored four goals, helping his MLS team secure the Supporters’ Shield, marking his 46th title across both club and international play.
“Leo is in good form,” Scaloni noted. “He’s played multiple games in recent weeks after our decision to rest him during the last international break so he could fully recover. He’s trained with the squad and is ready to take on Venezuela, who will be a tough opponent.”
Argentina’s last two qualifying matches saw them defeat Chile 3-0 on September 6 but suffer a narrow 2-1 loss to Colombia on September 10, a rematch of the Copa America final. This marked Argentina’s fourth defeat in their last 65 games, with previous losses to Brazil in the 2019 Copa America semifinal, Saudi Arabia in the 2022 World Cup opener, and Uruguay during World Cup qualifiers last November.
Currently, Argentina sits atop the CONMEBOL standings with 18 points, leading the pack among South American teams vying for a spot in the 2026 World Cup. Messi is expected to return to South Florida following the international break for Inter Miami’s regular-season finale on October 19, ahead of the MLS Cup Playoffs starting October 25.
