“Honestly, it was very difficult to play” - Lionel Messi shares thoughts after returning to action for Argentina in ‘ugly’ draw with Venezuela

Lionel Messi has blamed the pitch condition for Argentina's latest result in their FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The World Cup champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela on Thursday, October 10, in a game marred by a water-logged pitch after a heavy downpour in Maturin.

Messi returned to action for Argentina for the first time since the 2024 Copa America final. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner sufferd a severe ankle injury in the final against Colombia and was ruled out for over two months.

La Albiceleste looked to consolidate their lead at the top of the South American World Cup qualifying table, but were forced to settle for an 'ugly' draw against Venezuela. The match was initially delayed from the scheduled kick off time due to heavy rain and even thereafter, the Estadio Monumental de Maturin was clearly water-logged.

Neverthelsss, Lionel Messi marked his return with an assist for Nicolas Otamendi in the 13th minute to give Argentina the lead. However, the hosts restored parity in the second half through Salomon Rondon's header (65').

After the match, Messi expressed his delight at being back with the national team, saying (via AlbicelesteTalk on X):

"The wait to return to playing was long as I spent a long time off the field and missed national team matches, but I’m happy to be back. I miss playing in Argentina again. Now we have a long trip back, then a few days to rest and prepare for the match at home."

The Argentina skipper, however, lambasted the condition of the pitch, saying it made it difficult for his team to execute their plans.

"The field didn’t help us execute what we wanted to do. We hadn’t prepared the match in this way, but we were ready to compete for the second ball and look for a mistake from the opponent," Lionel Messi said.

"I’m happy that I can continue playing and be here again. Honestly, it was very difficult to play this way; the match was very ugly and full of complications," he added.

How have Lionel Messi's Argentina fared in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qulaifiers?

Despite the 1-1 draw with Venezuela, Argentina still remain atop the 2026 CONMEBOL standings with 19 points from nine matches played. The World Champions have won six matches, and lost twice in addition to their most-recent draw.

The qualification series is being played in a round-robin format and will see each team play each other twice (home and away). Argentina's two losses have come at the hands of Uruguay away (2-0) and Colombia (2-1).

Lionel Messi and Co. have recorded victories over Eucador (1-0), Bolivia (3-0), Paraguay (1-0), Peru (2-0), Brazil (1-0), and Chile (3-0). Up next, they will face Bolivia in a return leg fixture on Tuesday, October 15.