In an atmosphere filled with emotion at the Monumental Stadium, the Argentine national team secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Venezuela in the 2026 World Cup South American qualifiers on the morning of September 5th. This may be Lionel Messi's last appearance in a World Cup qualifying match at home, as the 37-year-old captain has repeatedly mentioned retiring from the national team after the 2026 World Cup.
Messi and Julian Alvarez, the assist provider for the opening goal.
From the start of the match, Argentina completely controlled the game with their fluid and fast-paced style of play. The Messi-Álvarez duo constantly disrupted the opposing defense, supported by a four-man midfield consisting of Mastantuono, De Paul, Almada, and Paredes. However, it wasn't until the 39th minute that the deadlock was broken. Following a central combination with Julian Alvarez, Messi broke free and unleashed a delicate lob, opening the scoring to the ecstatic cheers of over 80,000 spectators.
Messi's opening goal for Argentina - Clip: X
After the break, Argentina continued to press their opponents. Despite Venezuela's tenacious defense, they had almost no chance of counter-attacking against the overwhelming pressure from the home team. In the 76th minute, substitute Lautaro Martínez doubled the lead with a close-range header after a precise cross from Nicolás González.
Messi scores a brace in Argentina's celebration.
Just minutes later, Monumental erupted again. In the 80th minute, Thiago Almada delivered a perfect cross for Messi to calmly tap the ball into the empty net, completing his brace. 3-0 to Argentina, a result that accurately reflected their dominance with 76% possession and 17 shots, while Venezuela failed to register a single shot on target.
The final whistle blew, and tens of thousands of fans sang a tribute to Messi. The Rosario superstar shed tears in that special moment. With two goals, Messi continued to affirm his irreplaceable role, while also keeping Argentina firmly at the top of the group with 38 points after 17 matches. The team had officially secured their early qualification for the 2026 World Cup as early as matchday 13.
Paraguay qualifies for the World Cup after 16 years.
Meanwhile, Venezuela remains stuck in 7th place with 18 points, facing significant difficulties in the race for a play-off spot. Argentina put an end to Venezuela's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup, while also helping three other teams, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia, to advance through the qualifying rounds.
Uruguay struggled but still managed to qualify for the World Cup.
A festive atmosphere swept through Paraguay as the national team secured their first World Cup qualification in 16 years. Colombia shared in the joy, with "Los Cafeteros" also returning to the World Cup after the disappointment of failing to qualify in 2022.
With his impressive performances recently, James Rodriguez is expected to lead his national team deep into next year's World Cup.
James Rodriguez remains the spiritual leader of Colombia.
Meanwhile, Uruguay is making its fourth consecutive World Cup appearance. Under the guidance of coach Marcelo Bielsa, "La Celeste" is considered one of the most exciting teams to watch.
Besides the six teams that qualified directly for the World Cup finals – Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia – South America also has one spot in the intercontinental play-off. This is a competition between Venezuela and Bolivia. In the final matchday, Venezuela will face Colombia, while Bolivia will clash with Brazil. Peru and Chile did not qualify and will watch the World Cup on TV.
Results of the matches played on the morning of September 5th:
Argentina 3-0 Venezuela
Uruguay 3-0 Peru
Colombia 3-0 Bolivia
Brazil 3-0 Chile
Paraguay 0-0 Ecuador
Source: https://nld.com.vn/messi-ruc-sang-tai-monumental-argentina-giup-3-doi-bong-nam-my-du-world-cup-196250905105629328.htm
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